Now in its second decade, the Children’s Chorus of Washington (CCW) has taken its place among the finest children’s choral ensembles in the country, and is recognized for its program and artistic excellence. CCW comprises three performing ensembles and its 170 young singers, ages 9-18, represent over 100 public and private schools in the greater Washington, DC area.
In response to requests from parents, Founder and Artistic Director Joan Gregoryk established this outstanding performance-based choral music education program for children from the greater Washington area in 1996. In Europe, the tradition of children’s choral music is centuries old. In the United States, the artistry embodied in the voices of children and the rich musical literature written for them has only been recently been recognized.
In May 2005, CCW premiered The Nightingale, an opera for young voices by the renowned composer Imant Raminsh. The Nightingale was jointly commissioned by CCW, the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus of Illinois, and the Portland (Ore.) Symphonic Girlchoir. An exciting new production will be presented this Spring on May 2 and 3 at the state of the art Harman Center for the Arts.
The Chorus made its debut at the Kennedy Center in November 1996, with The Washington Chorus in a performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony. In 1997, at the invitation of Maestro Leonard Slatkin, National Symphony Music Director, the Chorus performed with the NSO and The Washington Chorus in the Washington and New York premieres of The Children’s Crusade by Gabriel Pierne, in concerts at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Other NSO performances include Britten’s War Requiem, Walton’s Henry V, and Orff's Carmina Burana, conducted by Leonard Slatkin. During its 10th Anniversary season, the Chorus appeared in a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand") with the NSO and the major adult choral groups of the Washington D.C. area.
The Chorus had also performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in performances of Carmina Burana and Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, conducted by Yuri Temirkanov. The Chorus performed with Choral Arts Society of Washington in the Washington premiere of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 5.
The Chorus has toured internationally in Italy at the 1999 Tuscany International Children’s Chorus Festival, which included a Gala Festival Concert in Florence and a performance participation in a Mass at St. Peter’s in Rome. In July 2002, the Chorus participated in the European Children’s Chorus Festival in Vienna, Salzburg and Prague, performing in such venues as St. Stephen’s in Vienna, University Church in Salzburg and Smetana Hall in Prague. In the summer of 2004, CCW toured England and Wales with performances at Ely Cathedral and St. David's Hall in Cardiff. During summer 2006, members of the Chorus toured South America, Brazil and Argentina as part of the Melodia! Children's Music Festival, performing in such venue as Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. Last summer, the Chorus toured in Italy, for its first International self-produced tour, singing at St Mark's Basilica in Venice and St Peter's Basilica in Rome among other grand venues.
