Washington Men's Camerata
Encyclopedia
The Washington Men's Camerata is America's preeminent large men's chorus. It was founded in 1984 to perform, promote and preserve the rich legacy of men's choral music. Since 1999, Frank Albinder
- who previously served as the Associate Director of Chanticleer (America's only full-time professional vocal ensemble) - has been the Camerata's Music Director. The Camerata seeks to present concerts of the highest artistic quality to the widest possible audience; educate young people and generate interest on their part in choral music; collaborate with orchestras, other ensembles and recording companies in performances and recordings of the men's choral repertoire; through the Demetrius Project, the National Repository Library of Men's Choral Music, preserve and share worthy collections of music that are no longer in use; and encourage composers to write music for male chorus by promoting and performing newly composed works for men's chorus.
In addition to its regular concert series, which since 1994 has included annual performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
, the Camerata has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra (Under the direction Christopher Hogwood and Marvin Hamlisch, among others) and the National Gallery Orchestra (George Manos, Music Director); at the Smithsonian Institution; the Embassy of the Russian Federation; the National Building Museum; Harvard, Princeton, and Rutgers Universities; and the White House. The Camerata has collaborated with internationally renowned artists including soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson, baritone John Shirley-Quirk, and the Mark Morris Dance Group. Listeners nationwide have heard the Camerata on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," "Performance Today" and "Pipe Dreams." The group's 1993 CD, Masters In This Hall: Christmas Music for Men's Chorus (Gothic), has enjoyed critical acclaim, frequent airplay, and brisk sales nationwide. A second critically acclaimed recording, Over The Sea to Skye (Gothic), featuring folk songs from around the world, was released in March 1997. The third Camerata CD, The Spirit of Freedom (Gothic), featuring patriotic songs and military anthems, was released in March 1999, prompting Washington Post music critic Joseph McLellan to declare that it "is performed at a level that matches the best work of Robert Shaw." Sing We Noel (Gothic), the Camerata's newest Christmas CD, was released in Fall 2001. It features Daniel Pinkham's glorious Christmas Cantata and favorite carols from around the world.
The Camerata's newest CD, Brothers, Sing On! Classics for Men's Chorus (Gothic) was released in 2006. It features favorites from the male chorus repertoire, including Biebl's "Ave Maria," "What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?," "Spaseniye sodelal" and "Vive L'Amour."
Frank Albinder
Frank Scott Albinder is an internationally acclaimed conductor of male choral music. A former director of Chanticleer, Albinder currently conducts the Washington Men's Camerata, the Woodley Ensemble, and the Virginia Glee Club, and is president of Intercollegiate Men's Choruses, Inc., a national...
- who previously served as the Associate Director of Chanticleer (America's only full-time professional vocal ensemble) - has been the Camerata's Music Director. The Camerata seeks to present concerts of the highest artistic quality to the widest possible audience; educate young people and generate interest on their part in choral music; collaborate with orchestras, other ensembles and recording companies in performances and recordings of the men's choral repertoire; through the Demetrius Project, the National Repository Library of Men's Choral Music, preserve and share worthy collections of music that are no longer in use; and encourage composers to write music for male chorus by promoting and performing newly composed works for men's chorus.
In addition to its regular concert series, which since 1994 has included annual performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
, the Camerata has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra (Under the direction Christopher Hogwood and Marvin Hamlisch, among others) and the National Gallery Orchestra (George Manos, Music Director); at the Smithsonian Institution; the Embassy of the Russian Federation; the National Building Museum; Harvard, Princeton, and Rutgers Universities; and the White House. The Camerata has collaborated with internationally renowned artists including soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson, baritone John Shirley-Quirk, and the Mark Morris Dance Group. Listeners nationwide have heard the Camerata on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," "Performance Today" and "Pipe Dreams." The group's 1993 CD, Masters In This Hall: Christmas Music for Men's Chorus (Gothic), has enjoyed critical acclaim, frequent airplay, and brisk sales nationwide. A second critically acclaimed recording, Over The Sea to Skye (Gothic), featuring folk songs from around the world, was released in March 1997. The third Camerata CD, The Spirit of Freedom (Gothic), featuring patriotic songs and military anthems, was released in March 1999, prompting Washington Post music critic Joseph McLellan to declare that it "is performed at a level that matches the best work of Robert Shaw." Sing We Noel (Gothic), the Camerata's newest Christmas CD, was released in Fall 2001. It features Daniel Pinkham's glorious Christmas Cantata and favorite carols from around the world.
The Camerata's newest CD, Brothers, Sing On! Classics for Men's Chorus (Gothic) was released in 2006. It features favorites from the male chorus repertoire, including Biebl's "Ave Maria," "What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?," "Spaseniye sodelal" and "Vive L'Amour."