Biography
The California-based ensemble iSing Silicon Valley embodies the multicultural makeup of its home region while supporting an array of original compositions. Several recordings have documented the choir’s work, drawing notice from commentators far outside the Bay Area.
Jennah Delp Somers, who leads the ensemble as conductor, and artistic director Shane Troll established the organization in 2013. Their mission centers on transforming the lives of adolescent singers through ensemble singing. In addition to its concert activity, iSing functions as a training academy serving three hundred participants from grades one through twelve; these members undergo intensive vocal instruction, while select smaller ensembles handle public appearances and studio work. Membership and leadership reflect the varied cultural backgrounds of the surrounding community, and need-based financial aid ensures participation remains possible irrespective of household income. Entry occurs solely through audition and is restricted to residents of the designated service area. Many singers remain with the program for multiple years, allowing the organization to exert a sustained influence on both participants and their families. Recognition has followed from competitions inside and outside the United States, among them the Chorus America/Dale Warland Singers Commission Award in 2018, the Grand Prize at the Eighth International Robert Schumann Choral Competition the same year, and the overall title at the World Choir Games held in Gangneung, South Korea, in 2023. The debut album Here I Stand appeared on Innova in 2020.
Repertory choices likewise mirror the ensemble’s commitment to inclusivity, encompassing both newly commissioned scores and longstanding choral literature. Commissions have been directed toward composers from historically marginalized communities, with a particular emphasis on female creators; recent examples include Sungji Hong’s Lux aeterna, Santa Ratniece’s Where the Insects Cry, and Tracy Wong’s Lenggang Kangkung. Guest artists and partner organizations have included Joyce DiDonato, Barbara Bonney, Estelí Gomez, Meredith Monk, the vocal group Voces8, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, and musicians from the SF Symphony and One Found Sound. Two further recordings followed: Drift, issued by Amsterdam Records in 2022, and Love & Light, released on Avie in 2023. During pandemic restrictions in 2021, the singers themselves directed a performance of Caroline Shaw’s So Quietly, which Innova subsequently issued.
Jennah Delp Somers, who leads the ensemble as conductor, and artistic director Shane Troll established the organization in 2013. Their mission centers on transforming the lives of adolescent singers through ensemble singing. In addition to its concert activity, iSing functions as a training academy serving three hundred participants from grades one through twelve; these members undergo intensive vocal instruction, while select smaller ensembles handle public appearances and studio work. Membership and leadership reflect the varied cultural backgrounds of the surrounding community, and need-based financial aid ensures participation remains possible irrespective of household income. Entry occurs solely through audition and is restricted to residents of the designated service area. Many singers remain with the program for multiple years, allowing the organization to exert a sustained influence on both participants and their families. Recognition has followed from competitions inside and outside the United States, among them the Chorus America/Dale Warland Singers Commission Award in 2018, the Grand Prize at the Eighth International Robert Schumann Choral Competition the same year, and the overall title at the World Choir Games held in Gangneung, South Korea, in 2023. The debut album Here I Stand appeared on Innova in 2020.
Repertory choices likewise mirror the ensemble’s commitment to inclusivity, encompassing both newly commissioned scores and longstanding choral literature. Commissions have been directed toward composers from historically marginalized communities, with a particular emphasis on female creators; recent examples include Sungji Hong’s Lux aeterna, Santa Ratniece’s Where the Insects Cry, and Tracy Wong’s Lenggang Kangkung. Guest artists and partner organizations have included Joyce DiDonato, Barbara Bonney, Estelí Gomez, Meredith Monk, the vocal group Voces8, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, and musicians from the SF Symphony and One Found Sound. Two further recordings followed: Drift, issued by Amsterdam Records in 2022, and Love & Light, released on Avie in 2023. During pandemic restrictions in 2021, the singers themselves directed a performance of Caroline Shaw’s So Quietly, which Innova subsequently issued.
Albums