About

Critics and audiences alike have praised The City Choir of Washington and its Artistic Director Robert Shafer for consistently beautiful choral tone, clear diction, and exquisite attention to musical detail. The City Choir has performed with The National Symphony and The Washington National Opera Orchestra at The Kennedy Center and at Wolf Trap Park for the Performing Arts under the batons of Stephen Lord, Randall Craig Fleischer, Ludwig Wicki, Marvin Hamlisch, Erik Ochsner and Murry Sidlin. In addition, the group presents its own yearly subscription series conducted by Maestro Shafer.

During its first six seasons, the chorus performed many major works with its own orchestra, including Bach’s Mass in B Minor and Magnificat; Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms; the Duruflé Requiem; Fauré Requiem; Monteverdi Marian Vespers of 1610; Handel’s Solomon, Coronation Anthems and Dixit Dominus; Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Mass in Time of War; the Mozart Requiem; Vivaldi Gloria; Joel Puckett’s This Mourning; and the world premiere of Lux Aeterna by Robert Shafer. The City Choir has attracted capacity audiences for its subscription concerts, including the highly regarded Music for Christmas performances that showcase talented high school choral ensembles.

In 2012-2013, The City Choir of Washington presented "A Royal Season" which was highlighted by the World Premiere Performances of Three Hymns of George Herbert and Tolstoy's Creed by Sir John Tavener. The City Choir also performed Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezin in Avery Fisher Hall at NYC's Lincoln Center.

The City Choir is comprised of 140 professional-level volunteer singers from throughout the Washington metropolitan area. The City Choir of Washington dedicates itself to inspiring singers, audience members and the community to discover the rich musical and cultural heritage of choral music. Through performances and educational and community outreach programs such as The City Singers and Partners in Song, The City Choir is committed to nurturing the next generation of performers and audience members.