DC Chorus Welcomes New Directors & Plans Expanded Community Involvement & Educational Outreach
December 10, 2024 (Washington, DC) – Under new leadership, Washington Men's Camerata enters its 40th year aiming to strengthen the DMV area's deep choral roots with unique performances, expanded education initiatives, and fresh artistic vision. Renowned conductor Scott Tucker takes the helm as Artistic Director saying, "My vision for the Camerata is guided by two goals: nurturing a culture of continuous improvement and expanding our footprint."
The season prominently highlights women as featured composers, instrumentalists, and on the podium. Newly appointed Associate Director Julie Huang Tucker co-conducts and accompanies on piano and organ. The season's first concerts are December 14 and 15. Noel! Christmas with the Camerata includes holiday music from baroque to modern, showcasing works by female composers Rosephanye Powell, Terre Roche, Elaine Hagenberg, and Naomi LaViolette. Julie Huang Tucker is music director at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington and has performed as an organist at The Kennedy Center, Strathmore, and Washington National Cathedral with National Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic, Choral Arts, and Washington Chorus. In addition to singing with and accompanying Washington Douglass Chorale, she's a WETA Classical host and is pursuing a Doctorate of Music Arts in choral conducting at University of Maryland.
Scott Tucker has prepared choruses for many of the best-known orchestral conductors in the world, including Marin Alsop, Gustavo Dudamel, Christoph Eschenbach, Joanne Falletta, Erich Leinsdorf, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, among others. He's Co-Artistic Director of Washington Douglass Chorale, Cornell University Professor Emeritus, Choral Arts Director Emeritus, and was Washington Men's Camerata's Interim Music Director before being appointed Artistic Director. With that wealth of experience, the conductors strive to help each singer achieve their best possible vocal technique and musical skill, and to attract high-quality volunteer singers with a healthy mix of youth and experience. Prospective new singers are welcome at open houses and auditions in December, March, May, and July.
Working on improving their reach across the DMV area, Scott Tucker says he's eager to "collaborate with orchestras, bands, other choruses, soloists, non-western ensembles, dancers, poets, scientists, filmmakers, architects, and beyond." The Camerata recently joined Washington Commanders Marching Band to record the new rendition of the football fight song, Hail to the Commanders. December 16-19 they'll bring the holiday spirit, caroling at 1789 Restaurant and Fitzgeralds. In March 2025, the Young Men's Ensemble of Children's Chorus of Washington joins them for workshops and a performance around their concert program, Pardon Our French, including music from students of the legendary Nadia Boulanger. In May 2025, their concert, Seasons, reflects the changing tides of time and stages of love and life. A new sort of homecoming tradition, their Summer Sing welcomes vocalists of all ages and walks of life for a day of workshops combining soprano, alto, tenor, and bass singers, in collaboration with American Youth Chorus. All their concerts and workshops will be recorded and shared online for study and enjoyment by broader audiences.
Library: Preserving and promoting choral music since 1984, the Camerata has established The Demetrius Project, a national lending library of low-voice sheet music with over 200,000 scores of 3,300 works. New this year, they're expanding access with a more robust database and central-DC physical location at First Trinity Lutheran Church.
Managing Director Jonathon Hampton rounds out the new team. He previously sang with the Camerata during the last two seasons and spent the past 16 years working in arts administration, largely with Carnegie Hall, Pacific Boychoir Academy, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, and Strathmore. Hampton is eager to help advance the nonprofit, supporting the ensemble's artistic and administrative pursuits. He says, "Sustaining arts organizations is more crucial now than ever, especially in our nation's Capital, and it's my privilege to do so. As creatives we have a wonderful opportunity and powerful responsibility to reflect history and envision the future. We're poised to help our community connect through artistry, share in the beauty of music, and embody the influence of art."
CONCERTS
Noel! Christmas with the Camerata • Sat, December 14, 2024 at 8pm • St. Columba's Episcopal Church • 4201 Albemarle St NW, Washington, DC 20016
Noel! Christmas with the Camerata • Sun, December 15, 2024 at 4pm • The Church of the Epiphany • 1317 G St NW, Washington, DC 20005
Pardon Our French • Sat, March 22, 2025 at 8pm • First Congregational UCC/Live! at 10th & G • 945 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Seasons • Sat, May 31, 2025 at 8pm • First Congregational UCC/Live! at 10th & G • 945 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001
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