About Los Angeles Children's Chorus

Under the artistic direction of Anne Tomlinson, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus has emerged as one of the nation’s leading children’s choruses, known for the superlative quality of its musical performances and the high caliber of its artistry. Founded in 1986, LACC now performs regularly with Southern California’s most prominent performing arts organizations, at its own self-produced concerts, with other children’s choruses, at choir festivals, and for appreciative community groups and organizations throughout the region and abroad.

Given its emphasis on and reputation for artistic excellence, LACC is greatly in demand to perform major choral and orchestral works with high profile professional ensembles. LACC performs often with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in such works as Mahler’s Third Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana, John Adams’ El Niño, Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Stravinsky’s Persephone, and Bernstein’s Mass under esteemed conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen, Andre Previn, and Marin Alsop. The Choir sings frequently with the Los Angeles Master Chorale under Grant Gershon and with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra under the direction of John Mauceri and Leonard Slatkin. LACC also performs on occasion with the Pasadena Symphony, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Southwest Chamber Musi

LACC enjoys a close relationship with LA Opera, appearing in numerous productions and world premieres, such as: La damnation de Faust, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Billy Budd, La Bohème, Pagliacci, Tosca, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Otello, Carmen, Hansel and Gretel, Der Rosenkavalier, Queen of Spades, Werther, Turandot, and the world premieres of Grendel and the children’s opera Fantastic Mr. Fox.

In addition to their many contracted performances, LACC presents its own annual Winter and Spring Concerts. The Chorus performs compositions that range from established works by classical composers to contemporary arrangements of folk songs from around the world. The Chorus frequently presents new compositions written specifically for children’s voices. Major works performed by LACC’s Concert Choir include Britten’s Missa Brevis and Ceremony of Carols, Faure’s Messe Basse, and Dancing Day by John Rutter. In June 2000, LACC produced its first children’s opera, Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde (Noah’s Flood). Eighty choristers joined with the Orchestra da Camera of the Colburn School, three adult singer/actors, a professional stage director, choreographer, set designer, and costume designer to provide a memorable experience for the performers and the audience alike

In July 2007, LACC produced a milestone commission: a new choral opera written for LACC by composer Peter Ash and librettist Donald Sturrock, Keepers of the Night. Conductor Grant Gershon, director Corey Madden and renowned soloists Suzanna Guzmán, Malcolm MacKenzie, Lynette Tapia and Lauren Libaw joined 65 LACC choristers for four performances of this world premiere production at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale.

LACC’s Concert Choir tours extensively throughout the world and across the United States. In previous seasons, Concert Choir toured internationally to Italy, Brazil, Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. National tours have taken the children to Boston, New York, Washington DC, Alaska, Colorado, Chicago, and Indianapolis. In summer 2006, Concert Choir was the featured choir at the Tuscany International Children’s Chorus Festival. Concert Choir will tour to China for the first time prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Intermediate Choir takes a weekend tour every spring, traveling to cities throughout the western United States to visit and perform with many other children’s choirs. Apprentice Choir and Preparatory Choir enjoy a day trip in the spring to visit and perform with other children’s choirs.

Chorus members have performed at special events during visits to Los Angeles by the Emperor and Empress of Japan, Great Britain’s former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and on nationally televised commercials, movie soundtracks, the Grammy Awards Show, and the Tonight Show. They performed at the opening of the Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles and sang at LA City Hall for the first anniversary of 9/11. LACC is honored to have been named “2003 Artists of the Year” by the Los Angeles Opera League.

Los Angeles Children’s Chorus has hosted visits by and performed with many other children’s choirs including the Leningrad Children’s Choir, Toronto Children’s Chorus, Tapiola Choir of Finland, Dawn Children’s Choir of Moscow, Carmina Slovenica of Maribor, Slovenia, Australian Girls Choir, American Boychoir, Phoenix Boys Choir, Phoenix Girls Chorus, Central California Children’s Choir, Lawrence Children’s Choir, Portland Symphonic Girlchoir, Pensacola Children’s Chorus, and the Australian Girls Choir