Cantus

Touring: cantus was engaged for performances in 8 states and canada during the 2023-24 concert season. Highlights included concerts at the musical instrument museum in phoenix, az and illinois college in jacksonville, il. While on tour, the ensemble led masterclasses and workshops with students at samford college in birmingham, al and middle and high school students in the worthington, mn school district.

Recording: cantus recorded an album, "mountain nights," for future release by signum classics. Cantus released selected individual songs on youtube throughout the year, demonstrating the ensemble's commitment to new music and stylistic versatility. Highlights included "ahe lau makani" by queen lili'uokalani and "picaflor esmeralda" by gabriela lena frank. Several of cantus' concert performances were broadcast on minnesota public radio, with syndicated distribution to public radio stations around the united states.

Education: central to cantus' mission is educating the next generation of choral singers and enriching the musical experience of singers of all ages, through workshops, masterclasses, and side-by-side rehearsals and performances. In the 2023-24 season, cantus lived out this aspect of its mission by conducting workshops connected to touring programs, for high school and college students in the communities hosting tour performances. Locally, cantus partnered with the fair school in minneapolis for a year-long high school residency program, culminating in a public concert in may, 2024. The ensemble also served as clinicians and leaders of a day-long choral music festival in march, 2024, for high school tenors and basses; more than 100 singers from 16 different schools participated in the festival, which was sponsored by the minnesota chapter of the american choral directors association. Both of these educational initiatives are now woven into the ensemble's annual calendar, as are the workshops and masterclasses on tour.