Empire City Men’s Chorus Promotes Vince Peterson from Interim to Artistic Director

 

Edward Angelo Enrique

 

 

 

The Empire City Men’s Chorus promoted Vince Peterson this month from Interim Artistic Director to Artistic Director.  ECMC originally hired Vince Peterson in September 2014 as Interim Artistic Director after the early departure of its previous Artistic Director Matthew Oltman in June 2014.  Board Chair Jeremy Davidson said, “Since starting as Interim Artistic Director last fall, Vince has increased our rehearsal efficiency, increased membership engagement and was well-received by our audience in December 2014. Offering him the position of Artistic Director was an easy decision. We look forward to many, many years of Vince’s artistic leadership that will keep ECMC fulfilling our mission of serving our members and audience alike.”  

 

Upon receiving the news, Artistic Director Vince Peterson commented, “I am thrilled to be at the helm of ECMC at this exciting time in its musical and organizational development. The focus of musical growth over the next two years will include resetting defaults for the singers in terms of musical habits and vocal technique, improving the overall median of musicianship through careful and patient processes, and ultimately creating a culture of graduation within the group, so as to ensure full musical stimulation for all members of different levels of ability and interest. It is my sincere intention to have the concert programming of ECMC reflect its surround community, making the ensemble a sounding board and a mirror, helping people to live as their best selves and igniting social change in the world. I want ECMC’s musical identity to be more universal; to breath new life into the wonderful tradition of men’s choral singing, and also to innovate, so as to see that this art form which we all hold so dear remains alive and thriving into the next century and beyond.”

 

Vince Peterson is a Brooklyn-based composer, conductor, and keyboardist.  He is the founder of Choral Chameleon, a ground-breaking and modern vocal ensemble in New York City the Organist and Choirmaster of St. Paul’s Carroll Street in Brooklyn and the Director of Children’s Choirs at The Lycée Français de New York.  Vince is also a member of the Board of Directors of The New York Choral Consortium, where he works to develop the choral art and cultivate new program offerings for NYC choruses, their directors, and their administrators.

 

The Empire City Men’s Chorus is a volunteer all male chorus founded in 1993 and based in New York city.  ECMC is known for performing eclectic multilingual repertoire of predominantly classical music. ECMC consistently presents concerts which boast a variety of well-known composers as well as newly commissioned works by exciting young composers. As a gay and gay friendly organization, ECMC believes that choral music can be a compelling artistic response to pressing issues within our communities.

 

Learn more about the Empire City Men’s Chorus at www.empirecitymenschorus.org.

 

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