Ensembles
Performance opportunities abound at Colorado College. Most of the 350 students who are active in the department are not music majors or minors. Students may perform as soloists or as small ensembles in a variety of concerts and are welcome to audition for the many department ensembles that give concerts each semester. Students join the ensembles for the semester and may take them for academic credit as adjunct courses.
These ensembles include: the Colorado College Choir with Orchestra, a Chamber Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Chorus, and the Bowed Piano Ensemble, which has cut CDs and toured Australia, Europe, and the Canary Islands. The Collegium Musicum performs music for voices and early instruments. Our world music ensembles - Balinese Gamelan,and African Music - perform on authentic instruments with dancers, all under the direction of natives of the traditions represented.
During 2008-09, the Visiting Ensemble in Residence is the Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble.
Founded in 1992 by Artistic Director Deborah Teske, Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble is a nationally acclaimed chamber choir of 26 auditioned singers. CVAE is dedicated to excellence in the performance of choral music from all historical periods, with emphasis on a cappella literature from the Renaissance and the last hundred years.
Through various community outreach programs, including its Voice, Verse, Vision program, a multimedia arts collaboration involving students, professional artists and composers, CVAE has shared its music with thousands of community members. Gateways, a High School Choral Residency program, is CVAE’s newest addition to its community outreach repertoire.
As Visiting Artists in Residence at CC, the Ensemble will support and facilitate all choral activities at the college. In the first semester, the ensemble will join forces with the 80-voice CC Choir, a group whose membership includes students, faculty, staff, and members of the Colorado Springs community. In the second semester, the focus will shift to the Colorado College Chamber Chorus for an in depth exploration of the art of chamber singing.
In addition to these collaborations, CVAE will present a concert of its own in the new Cornerstone Arts Center in October.
Artistic director Deborah Teske says, “Our high school residency program Gateways has become a highly rewarding part of our season. We are very excited about the opportunity to extend this mentoring to the college level. As both CVAE’s Artistic Director and Director of Choirs at CC, it is a special privilege for me to have a chance to bring these various groups together. Coming from diverse backgrounds and representing a wide variety of personal and professional experience, the members of CVAE are uniquely qualified to serve as role models for CC students. They are living examples of successful people making art an ongoing and indispensible part of their everyday lives. At the same time, the students at CC have a freshness in their music making that will certainly bring new energy to CVAE. ”
Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble
Deborah Jenkins Teske, Artistic Director
2008-2009 Artists in Residency Concerts
The Colorado College Music Department presents
Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble, Visiting Artists in Residence
Sunday, October 12 3:00 p.m.
Cornerstone Arts Center
Colorado College
This concert of choral masterpieces from the Renaissance to the present day will open CVAE's year-long appointment as Visiting Artists in Residence at Colorado College. The program will feature works by Claudio Monteverdi, Johannes Brahms, and Rene Clausen, as well as settings of traditional American songs.
No Admission Charge, donations accepted
Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble and the Colorado College Choir
Anton Bruckner Mass in e minor
Friday, December 5 7:30 p.m.
Shove Chapel
Colorado College
CVAE joins forces with The CC Choir to present Bruckner's Mass in e minor. This glorious masterpiece of the 19th century is set for double choir and an orchestra of wind and brass instruments. With a combined strength of more than 100 voices, this performance promises to raise the roof. The performance will also include works by Gabrieli and Palestrina.
No admission charge
A Carlton Gamer Retrospective
Sunday Feb. 22 3:00 p.m.
Packard Hall
Colorado College
This performance will feature the choral works of composer and Colorado College Professor Emeritus Carlton Gamer. The program includes Star in Clay, for choir and brass ensemble, Choros, for choir, string quartet, early instruments, piano, organ and percussion, as well as several works for a cappella choir.
No admission charge
Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble and
The Colorado College Chamber Chorus
Friday, May 1 7:30 p.m.
Shove Chapel
Colorado College
A Celebration of the Art of Chamber Singing! More information about programming for this concert coming soon.
No admission charge
For complete information about these and other events in CVAE’s concert season, or to learn more about the ensemble, please visit www.cvae.org.