About the Chorus

History

Conductors

Accompanists

Staff

History

In 1990, Dr. Betty Karol Wilson had a dream and The Classical Chorus of Abilene, Inc., with its mission to promote choral music through participation and performance, began with a 23 member adult chorus. This non-profit corporation now consists of over 120 singers, first grade through adult, in four different choirs, from all over the Big Country.

The Adult Chorus has performed with the Abilene Philharmonic, Abilene Opera Association, Texas Baroque Ensemble, University of Texas Early Music Project, Abilene Ballet, and Abilene Community Band, as well as the Mercury Baroque Ensemble, and has toured to Scotland and Italy. They have performed such major works as Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Requiem, Orff's Carmina Burana, Haydn's Mass in Time of War, Brahms' A German Requiem, Mozart's Coronation Mass, Byrd's Mass for Four Voices, Bach's St. John's Passion, Verdi's Requiem, the Texas premiere of Handel's Solomon, Mozart's Cantata #140 and the Lord Nelson Mass.

Three choirs exist for young singers: the Classical Children's Chorus (grades 1 - 4); the Classical Youth Chorus (grades 5 - 8); and the Classical Youth Chorale (grades 9  - 12). In addition to performing locally in Abilene, Sweetwater, Stamford, Anson, Coleman, Albany, and Winters, over the past 13 years members of the youth choirs have performed internationally in England, France, Canada, Italy, the Caribbean, and Austria. The Youth Choruses have also performed with the Abilene Philharmonic, the Abilene Opera Association, and the Abilene Ballet. They have hosted the Fredericksburg Children's Choir, the Amarillo Boys' Choir, the Manila Children's Choir, the New Zealand Youth Chorus, the Moscow Boys' Choir, and the Vienna Boys' Choir, and have performed for Barbara Bush. Each year, young singers entertain at various retirement and nursing home and for numerous free community events, learning an average of twenty pieces of music each year, from many different nations, eras, and in different languages.

The Classical Chorus of Abilene is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation and is not affiliated with any school, university, or church, and must therefore raise all its own funds and supply all its own needs. The overall mission of the Chorus is to promote choral music through participation and performance. The goal of our youth program is to instill in each child a lifelong love of music and to contribute positively to the development of each singer's self-esteem in an environment that required cooperation among peers and strives for artistic excellence. We believe that by doing so, we are educating voices, hearts, and minds through music.

© 2004 Classical Chorus of Abilene
6150 Regional Plaza
Abilene, TX 79606
(325) 795-1596