Group Profile

Now in its 15th season, The Arcadian Chorale is a choral & vocal music ensemble acclaimed for its innovative and musically accomplished presentations. Based in Monmouth County, the group performs at sites throughout metropolitan NY-NJ, and serves the community by participating in many special events throughout the year. The ensemble is one of the most active in the state, and has performed music from the Renaissance through the 21st century.

Why "Arcadian?" In an attempt to create the most perfect art forms possible, Renaissance poets and composers went back to the models of ancient Greece, to Arcadia, a mountainous and idyllic region that became synonymous with beauty and perfection. Our priority is to share the beauty of the human voice with our audiences, & bring some greater 'perfection' to our community through our music.

Founded: -Fall 1993

Mission: - to promote excellence in choral singing at the community level,
and thereby make a vital contribution to the musical & cultural life of the community.

- to provide local residents with the opportunity to sing and perform
choral music on an advanced level.

Singing Membership: - 60 - 70 voices, all volunteers

Season: Two full programs each year:

Fall Program: 2 - 3 concerts in November/December

Spring Program: 1 concert in May

Plus Special Performances (see below)

Performance Sites: throughout the greater Monmouth County & NY/NJ metro area.

Special Events

In June 2001, the Chorale made its Carnegie Hall debut, singing Beethoven's 9th Symphony. It appeared there again in February 2002, performing Mozart's Coronation Mass, and made a third trip in November 2002, offering Dvorak's Te Deum. It returned there in June 2003 for the NY Premiere of Ermione, a recently rediscovered opera by Rossini. Reviews referred to the group as "uniformly solid" & singing "with passion & accuracy." In April 2007, it sang at that august hall once again, offering Poulenc's delightful Gloria. In May 2008, the Chorale joined forces with the St. Cecilia Chorus, singing the Verdi Requiem at Carnegie Hall under the baton of Maestro David Randolph.

In January 2010, the Chorale made its first appearance at Lincoln Center, singing Karl Jenkins' beautiful Requiem at Avery Fisher Hall. This "Concert for Peace" was presented on Martin Luther King Day, in honor of King's efforts toward a peaceful society.

In May 2004, the ensemble made its debut at the NJ Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), joining with its "sister chorus," the Richmond Choral Society of Staten Island, to sing the Mahler 2^nd Symphony, the "Resurrection." Sponsored by the Portuguese-American Leadership Council (PALCUS), the performance was in celebration the 30^th Anniversary of the "Carnation Revolution," when democracy was peacefully restored to Portugal.

In May 2007, the Chorale sang Verdi's Messa da Requiem twice in New York City, in collaboration with the Richmond Choral Society and the Metropolitan Greek Chorale (NYC), plus the Mannes Community Orchestra (NYC). The first performance took place in Manhattan under the baton of the orchestra's Music Director, Maestro Peter Bellino, and the second occurred on Staten Island led by the Chorale's Music Director, Marina Alexander.

Locally, the Chorale has sung at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank several times, joining forces in 2004 with the Monmouth Symphony in a performance of Orff's Carmina Burana and Poulenc's Gloria. It was also honored to participate in both the 35th and 40th Anniversary Gala concerts of the Monmouth Conservatory of Music, collaborating with its director Vladislav Kovalsky as piano soloist in Beethoven's Choral Fantasy.

In 2005, 2006 and 2007, the Chorale appeared at the Two River Theater in Red Bank, selling out the house for its holiday programs. In March 2007, the group made its debut in Asbury Park, where it partnered with the Staten Island Philharmonic for "Mozart Plus One", an innovative presentation of Mozart's Requiem. The ensemble also gives an annual Holiday Concert there, "The Spirit of Christmas", since December 2007.

The Chorale has participated in the annual Freehold Holiday Festival, the Freehold/Taster's Choice Summer Concert Series, and "Tomorrow's Brightest Stars," an arts festival sponsored by the National Alliance for Excellence. In addition to its live performances, the group has made several appearances on cable television.

On the occasion of its 10^th Anniversary in 2003, the ensemble commissioned Infanta Marina, a new work from New York composer William Hawley. Committed to creating a permanent record of its work, the group has released 14 recordings.

The ensemble is a proud member of the Monmouth County Arts Council and of Chorus America.