musicianship. fellowship. citizenship.

OUR MISSION

to present excellent choral music to the greater New Haven region through public performance and community outreach, to enable singers to improve their musicianship, and to be an integral and active member in the cultural life of our community.

The New Haven Chorale is an auditioned community of choral musicians united by their passion for performing great choral music, commitment to life-long learning and musical growth, and interest in artistic collaboration and community cultural service. The Chorale believes that music has the power to change and enrich lives in fundamental and profound ways, and has been putting that belief to the test since its founding in 1950 by Alden Hammond. Under the artistic leadership of Edward Bolkovac since 2003, the Chorale serves the Greater New Haven community by performing interesting and eclectic performances that are spirited, thoughtfully conceived and well received, regularly featuring commissioned works and collaborations with other choruses, local symphonies, and educational institutions. Members, who range from undergraduates to retired professionals, enjoy excellent music training and fellowship in a fun and supportive atmosphere, and many devote their time and talents to local educational and mentoring opportunities, opening doors for new generations of singers. The diversity of backgrounds and interests represented in the group is broad, but all share common ground in their love of music, intellectual curiosity, and strong sense of community--traits that have made the New Haven Chorale a dynamic and essential cultural asset for over 70 years.

The Chorale sings a full concert season every year, often collaborates with other arts organizations, and occasionally tours. The Chorale’s major repertoire since Dr. Bolkovac began leading the group in 2003 has included works such as: Abigaña’s Symphony #1, Bach’s Magnificat, Te Deum by Berlioz, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Bloch’s Sacred Service with soloist Sanford Sylvan, Britten’s Ceremony of Carols and Rejoice in the Lamb, Brahms’s Schicksalslied, Nänie, as well as Ein deutsches Requiem (performed with the New Haven Symphony), Charpentier’s Te Deum, Copland’s The Lark, Duruflé’s Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, Handel’s Alexander’s Feast and Judas Maccabeus, Haydn’s Creation, Mariazeller Mass, Paukenmesse, Lord Nelson Mass, Kodály’s Missa Brevis, Lauridsen’s Lux aeterna, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Grand Mass in C Minor, and Spatzenmesse, Poulenc’s Gloria, Ramirez’s Misa Criolla, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater, Mahler’s Symphony #2 (Resurrection), Orff’s Carmina Burana, Rutter’s Gloria, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Theofanidis’s The Here and Now, Verdi’s Requiem (performed with the Hartford Symphony), and Dona nobis pacem and A Sea Symphony by Vaughan Williams. Smaller works have included numerous contemporary American composers, as well as a variety of European masters, spirituals, and gospel arrangements. Aside from its work with Ed Bolkovac, the Chorale has been fortunate to work with other excellent conductors, including Glen Adsit, William Boughton, Edward Cumming, Carolina Flores, Brett Judson, and Gerald Steichen. The NHC regularly performs with some of Connecticut’s best orchestral players on its regular concerts, and has also performed in collaborative concerts with both the Hartford and New Haven Symphonies, the Hartt School Symphony, the Hartt Wind Ensemble, and the Alturas Duo.

“That was an absolutely splendid performance of the New Haven Chorale last Sunday. I have been exposed to a great deal of music in my lifetime, lucky me! But your group is a very special discovery. I am most grateful to you for introducing me to them. The quality of the voices is, of course, outstanding. But I am really blown away by the selection and variety of music performed. There is so much that I have never heard before, so much that is unusual, unexpected and really, really beautiful. Congratulations to you all.”

the people who make us sing

Dr. Bolkovac started his teaching career at Holy Names University in Oakland, California where he was appointed as a full-time faculty member at age 26 to teach in the Kodály Graduate Music Education Program. He taught ear training, choral conducting, conducted the college choirs, and later directed the college orchestra for three years, and eventually became the Director of the Kodály program. Shortly after his arrival at Holy Names, he also began the first of over 30 international trips to teach and conduct in Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Hungary, New Zealand, The Philippines, Taiwan, and Vienna. Prior appointments include Music Director of the Bay Area Lutheran Chorale and Artistic Director of the California Bach Society. Following his appointment to the California Bach Society, he became very involved in the San Francisco Bay Area’s rich early music scene, revitalizing the California Bach Society into one of the Bay Area’s finest Baroque ensembles, and working frequently with some of the finest singers and orchestral players.

After 16 years in the Bay Area, he moved to Australia to take up the position of Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Queensland in Brisbane where he directed the university choral ensembles and taught ear training and choral conducting. While at the University of Queensland, Dr. Bolkovac was nominated for an Excellence in Teaching Award, and also won a competitive national grant to travel to Berlin and The Library of Congress to study performance practice styles in early commercial recordings of the choral music of Brahms. He became known throughout Australia for his performances of Baroque oratorios, his many international workshops, and artistic leadership of the Brisbane Early Music Festival. His performances in Australia received consistently favorable reviews in the local and national press:

“An inspired performance . . . Handel’s noble phrases were shaped with skill and ingenuity . . .”–The Sunday Mail, Brisbane, Australia

“Bolkovac’s Maccabeus has, before all else, style . . . Concentus, now three years old, has developed a distinctive, baroque tone of colour, light and sharp definition.”–The Australian, Sydney

“The general joy of the Concentus singers responding to conductor Bolkovac’s exacting sensitivity made this a performance to savour.”–Courier-Mail, Brisbane

After four busy and productive years in Australia he returned to the United States in 1999 and took up the position of Primrose Fuller Professor of Choral Music at The Hartt School, leading its Vocal Studies Division from 2001-2013 and retiring in 2020. In 2003 he became the Artistic Director of the New Haven Chorale. He has conducted numerous performances with the New Haven Chorale in collaboration with The Hartt School choruses and Symphony Orchestra, The Hartford Symphony, The New Haven Symphony, and the Hartford Chorale. He studied conducting for 2 years in Hungary and earned his doctorate from Stanford University.

Board of Directors

Terri Bennett President
KEVIN BUNO Vice-President
Austin Rauschuber Secretary
Giovanni Esposito Treasurer

LARRY COPES
ANN DATUNASHVILI, MD
MEGHEN FITZGIBBONS
ALAN S. KLIGER, MD
PAUL MANGELS
ZOË-CLARE MATSUI
CINDY MORGAN
BRENDA NAEGEL
RACHEL ROBERTSON
REBECCA VAN TASSEL
SHELBY ZOLD

PRESIDENT | TERRI BENNETT

Terri Bennett marked the beginning of her 20th season with the New Haven Chorale by assuming the role of President in July of 2022. Terri has been singing since she was old enough to hold a church hymnal! Her first exposure to classical music was in middle school, when she sang the alto part in a performance of Handel’s Messiah, and she continued singing in choirs throughout high school and college.

Music is an integral part of Terri’s life. She plays the oboe in the Hamden Symphony Orchestra, the SCSU Band, and the Guilford Town Band. Throughout her life, she has sung in small ensembles that have brought music into schools, retirement communities, and nursing homes. Terri looks forward to working with the Chorale’s Music Director, Edward Bolkovac, to offer an engaging repertoire of choral music to the community, collaborating with area musicians and choruses, and serving as an ambassador for music’s ability to inspire and enrich the human experience.

Terri has a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and is a Professor of Mathematics at Southern Connecticut State University. She has always appreciated the overlap between mathematics, physics, and music. With her husband, Marty Hartog, who supports all of her musical endeavors, she has two music-loving children who are currently students at the University of Pittsburgh and Stanford University.

Terri is in her fourth year of a second six-year term on the Board and is also the Alto II Section Leader. She is honored to be serving as President and looks forward to working with the Chorale staff and Board of Directors on its exciting season of concerts.

Our Generous Sponsors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | ALICE HUMMEL

Alice Hummel, Executive Director, has skillfully used her expertise in strategic planning, marketing, fund-raising, grant-writing, and organizational development to successfully guide business, social, education and arts organizations through all phases of initiation, transition and growth. Alice has served on countless arts, philanthropic, educational and business boards. A Madison resident, Alice brings her boundless energy and considerable experience to supporting the Chorale’s mission of community outreach and securing its role as a premiere arts organization today and in the future.

Alice has worked with businesses as start-ups achieving expansion and growth; she has worked as a member of Boards of Directors of arts organizations, social service agencies and educational institutions which were in transition, helping them to raise funds, develop strategic plans, create effective fundraising projects, create effective endowment campaigns and manage them, define financial planning and budgeting, implement planned giving campaigns and assist them in realizing their goals and objectives. She is a skilled fundraiser, with expertise in strategic planning, marketing, planned giving campaigns, grant-making, finance, development and building strong organizational teams.

Under her leadership as Executive Director, the New Haven Chorale has enjoyed a renewed commitment to audience, excellence, community, creativity and to young musicians. Alice looks forward to assisting the Chorale in making music in more places and engaging more listeners in the 2023-2024 season.

ACCOMPANIST | BLAKE HANSEN

Blake Hansen has built a reputation as an active performer and collaborative artist throughout New England. Mr. Hansen has performed in notable venues in the U.S., Europe, and South America, including Steinway Hall in New York City, Teatro Municipal de Niteroi, Brazil, and the Illsley Ball Nordstram Hall in Seattle, WA. As a much sought after accompanist and chamber musician, Mr. Hansen holds the position of rehearsal and performance accompanist for the CT Lyric Opera, Hartford Opera Theater, and the Greve Opera Academy in Italy. Other opera companies he has collaborated with include Opera Theater of Connecticut, and Madison Lyric Stage. He also is frequently engaged to perform with choirs throughout CT, including the Hartt School Choirs, CONCORA, Manchester Community College, Griswold Community Chorus, and New Haven Chorale. Mr. Hansen is a staff accompanist for the vocal divisions of both Hartt School and CCSU. As a chamber musician, he collaborates with his wife, pianist and mezzo-soprano Rebecca Batista de Almeida and violin virtuoso Brunilda Myftaraj.