Biography
The Los Angeles Master Chorale ranks among the foremost vocal ensembles on the American Pacific coast, valued both for its independent programs and for its frequent appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. The group has also generated and introduced a substantial body of new choral music through commissions and first performances.
Roger Wagner established the ensemble in 1964 and served as its principal conductor until 1986, all while continuing to lead his own internationally renowned Roger Wagner Chorale. He positioned the Chorale as the resident chorus of the Music Center of Los Angeles County, a role it maintained at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion until the move to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003. John Currie held the music directorship from 1986 to 1991, Paul Salamunovich from 1991 to 2001, and Grant Gershon thereafter, with his contract now extended through 2025. A distinguished list of guest conductors, among them Robert Shaw, Margaret Hillis, and Helmuth Rilling, supplemented their work.
In addition to its ongoing associations with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Chorale provided the chorus for the Los Angeles Opera during the company’s initial seasons. It presents approximately ten concerts each year while sustaining partnerships with numerous other organizations. Morton Lauridsen, Shawn Kirchner, and Eric Whitacre have each served as composer-in-residence. One of its signature projects, Lagrime di San Pietro, draws on music by Orlando di Lassus and features stage direction by Peter Sellars; the production has been seen internationally at the Barbican in London, the Cité de la Musique in Paris, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.
The Chorale’s recorded legacy extends well into the LP period. In the digital era it has appeared on Decca, Nonesuch, and Immergent, among other labels, and in 2020 it moved to Signum Classics for the album Eric Whitacre: The Sacred Veil.
Roger Wagner established the ensemble in 1964 and served as its principal conductor until 1986, all while continuing to lead his own internationally renowned Roger Wagner Chorale. He positioned the Chorale as the resident chorus of the Music Center of Los Angeles County, a role it maintained at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion until the move to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003. John Currie held the music directorship from 1986 to 1991, Paul Salamunovich from 1991 to 2001, and Grant Gershon thereafter, with his contract now extended through 2025. A distinguished list of guest conductors, among them Robert Shaw, Margaret Hillis, and Helmuth Rilling, supplemented their work.
In addition to its ongoing associations with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Chorale provided the chorus for the Los Angeles Opera during the company’s initial seasons. It presents approximately ten concerts each year while sustaining partnerships with numerous other organizations. Morton Lauridsen, Shawn Kirchner, and Eric Whitacre have each served as composer-in-residence. One of its signature projects, Lagrime di San Pietro, draws on music by Orlando di Lassus and features stage direction by Peter Sellars; the production has been seen internationally at the Barbican in London, the Cité de la Musique in Paris, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.
The Chorale’s recorded legacy extends well into the LP period. In the digital era it has appeared on Decca, Nonesuch, and Immergent, among other labels, and in 2020 it moved to Signum Classics for the album Eric Whitacre: The Sacred Veil.
Albums
