Los Angeles Master Chorale
Recognized as one of the county’s most celebrated cultural treasures, the Los Angeles Master Chorale sings a magnificent rendition of “Wana Baraka,” a Kenyan hymn.
The Chorale celebrates its 44th anniversary to continue a long tradition of innovative programming and commitment to commissioning new works. The Master Chorale performs about 15 times a year in its own season, as well as appearing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic from time to time. In June 2003, the Master Chorale received the prestigious ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming.
Grant Gershon has served as the Chorale’s music director since 2001, succeeding Paul Salamunovich. In May 2007 Grant Gershon was appointed to the newly created position of Associate Conductor/Chorus Master for the LA Opera and extended his contract with the Master Chorale through the 2010-11 season. Both LA Opera and the Los Angeles Master Chorale are resident companies of the Music Center of Los Angeles County.
Now in his seventh season with the Chorale, Grant has expanded the choir’s repertoire considerably by conducting a number of world premieres, including You Are (Variations)by Steve Reich, Messages and Brief Eternityby Bobby McFerrin, Broken Charmsby Donald Crockett, Rezos (Prayers) by Tania León, Mother’s Lamentby Sharon Farber and Esa-Pekka Salonen’s first choral work, Two Songs to Poems of Ann Jäderlund(U.S. premiere).
The Chorale has released two CDs under Grant’s baton. Glass–Salonen (including the world premiere recording of Salonen’s songs as well as Philip Glass’s Itaipú) on the RCM label and Reich’s You Are (Variations) for Nonesuch. The latter was selected as one of the top ten classical recordings of 2005 by The New York Times, Washington Post and Newsday, among others.
Grant previously served as assistant conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1994-97. He also has appeared with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Houston Grand Opera, Juilliard Opera Theatre, the Finnish chamber orchestra Avanti! and music festivals in Edinburgh, Vienna, Helsinki, Ravinia, Rome, Madrid and Aspen. Born and raised in Norwalk, CA, Grant served as chorus master for two Grammy Award-nominated recordings: Sweeney Todd (New York Philharmonic Special Editions) and Ligeti’s Grand Macabre (Sony Classical).
Previously, the Chorale released three CDs under the baton of Music Director Emeritus Paul Salamunovich, including the Grammy-nominated Lauridsen-Lux Aeterna, Christmas, a recording of Dominic Argento's Te Deum and Maurice Duruflé's Messe Cum Jubilo. In addition, the Los Angeles Master Chorale is featured on the soundtracks of numerous major motion pictures, including A.I. Artificial Intelligence, My Best Friend's Wedding, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Sum of all Fears and Waterworld.
