May Festival Chorus

The Cincinnati May Festival, under the musical leadership of James Conlon since 1979, is the oldest continuous choral festival in the Western Hemisphere. Since the May Festival's inception in 1873, its foundation has remained its strong commitment to and pride in a tradition that provides Cincinnati and the tri-state region with exquisite choral music.

The May Festival Chorus today is made up of 150 volunteer members from the tri-state area who devote countless hours to rehearsals and performances all year long. Chorus members come from all walks of life and have in common love of music and joy in singing.

The May Festival Chorus is the core artistic element of the May Festival and, since 1989, has been under the direction of Robert Porco. The chorus annually performs Carolfest family concerts in December, a concert as part of the Fine Arts Fund "Sampler Weekend," and subscription concerts with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. In addition, the Chorus appears regularly in community outreach and neighborhood concerts.

In 1998 the chorus earned special honors from the Ohio Arts Council's annual Governor's Awards for the Arts—the 1998 Irma Lazarus Award. The award recognizes organizations or artists who have helped shape public support for the arts or have brought recognition to Ohio through artistic excellence.

The May Festival Chorus is featured on several Telarc recordings with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The Chorus has also appeared on several PBS broadcasts and in 2001 recorded its first-ever a cappella CD, Christmas With the May Festival Chorus (Telarc). In 2003, the Chorus released the world premiere recording of Liszt's St. Stanislaus, under the direction of James Conlon (Telarc).

www.mayfestival.com