CHORAL ARTS (Seattle) wins THE AMERICAN PRIZE

In a tightly contested race among some of the most well-known community choruses in the country, where the top three finishers were separated by mere percentage points and the top five by just inches, The American Prize is pleased to announce that Choral Arts, Robert Bode, conductor, of Seattle, WA, is the 2010 winner of The American Prize in Choral Performance (community division.) Congratulations. Seattle Pro Musica, Karen Thomas, conductor and the Atlanta Sacred Chorale, Eric Nelson, conductor, tied for second. Sacramento Choral Society, Donald Kendrick, conductor, and the Calvin College Alumni Choir, Pearl Shangkuan, conductor, tied for third. The American Prize judging panel commented on Choral Art's performance: "first-rate...great colors and impeccable intonation." Choral Arts was founded in 1993 and since then, has received local, national and international acclaim for its mastery of style, language, and genre. The ensemble performs up to four concert series each season in the Seattle area. Guest appearances have included: Mark Morris Dance Company, International Music Festival of Seattle, Northwest Sinfonietta’s 5th Anniversary Gala Concert, Arts West Music Series, Puget Sound Music Society, and Seattle Symphony’s Christmas Singalong Concert at Benaroya Hall. The choir participated in the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf Germany, where they placed fourth overall out of 300 international choirs and received a special recognition award. Choral Arts has four recordings available through the Loft/Gothic label. www.choral-arts.org Congratulations to all five contestants: Choral Arts, Seattle Pro Musica, Atlanta Sacred Chorale, Sacramento Choral Society and Calvin College Alumni Choir for spirited, impassioned singing and for outstanding achievement, ranked among the finest community choirs in the country. For more information about the nonprofit competitions of The American Prize, including the philosophy behind the contests, principles that guide its activities, bios of judges, and a list of upcoming competitions (an area which is currently under construction), please visit the website: www.theamericanprize.org For information about current winners in choral performance, orchestral performance and conducting, and lstings of finalists and semi-finalists, please visit our blog: www.theamericanprize.blogspot.com David Katz, chief judge The American Prize