Phoenix
Chorale
The Grammy® Award-winning Phoenix Chorale, led by Artistic Director Christopher Gabbitas since 2019, is regarded as one of the finest choral ensembles in North America of the western classical tradition. All of the 28-voice ensemble’s members are professional singers who currently reside in Arizona.
Founded in 1958 as the Bach & Madrigal Society of Phoenix and subsequently known as the Phoenix Bach Choir, the Phoenix Chorale became a fully professional choir in 1992.
Previous Phoenix Chorale conductors have included Millicent Wesley, Wallace Hornibrook, Dan Durand, Vance George, Anders Öhrwall, Jon Washburn, and Charles Bruffy.
Phoenix Chorale’s digital audience continues to grow through radio broadcasts, performance videos, and streaming services like Spotify, where the Chorale maintains a listenership of over 35,000 fans each month. The Chorale’s recordings have spent over 20 weeks on the Billboard Charts and have earned a total of ten Grammy® nominations and three Grammy® wins.
Annually, the Chorale’s video and audio recordings reach over one million listeners around the world. The Chorale is ensemble-in-residence at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Phoenix.
CONDUCTOR & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Christopher Gabbitas was appointed Artistic Director of Phoenix Chorale in May 2019, and is delighted and honored to be leading an ensemble with such a rich tradition of spreading the joy of music through song!
Starting as an 8-year-old boy chorister in England, Chris has been singing ever since in various chapel, cathedral and professional choirs including three years as a choral scholar at St John’s College, Cambridge and a year as a lay clerk at Christ Church, Oxford, as well as directing choral ensembles throughout this time.
Christopher Gabbitas
Artistic Director
Tom Peterson
Assistant Conductor & Outreach Coordinator
Jay Good / J. Good Productions
Artistic Operations Manager
ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR & OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Tom Peterson is the music director at Christ Church of the Ascension in Paradise Valley, and served for two years as Artistic Director of the Master Chorale of Flagstaff, where he initiated their Big Sing Flagstaff and Festival of Women Composers.
Soprano
Soprano
Soprano
Soprano
Soprano
Soprano
Soprano
Soprano
Soprano
Soprano
Alto
Alto
Alto
Alto
Alto
Alto
Alto
Alto
Tenor
Tenor
Tenor
Tenor
Tenor
Tenor
Tenor
Tenor
Bass
Bass
Bass
Bass
Bass
Bass
Bass
Bass
Bass
Nicole Belmont
Executive Director
Aaron M. Villalobos
Patron Services and Communications Manager
Laura Schairer
Publicity (Audience Magnets)
Melissa Smallwood
Bookkeeping (SIM Consultants)
TBD
Volunteer Coordinator
Christine Henry
Volunteer Assistant
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Nicole Belmont brings great passion and understanding of choral music to the Chorale, as well as a full suite of professional business development, marketing strategy and creative skills which she utilized to generate significant growth of the innovative choral organization, Choral Chameleon, based in New York City.
Patron Services and Communications Manager
Aaron M. Villalobos joins the Chorale after an accomplished 15-year career in the Sports & Entertainment industry where he specialized in marketing, creative and patron experience initiatives that set attendance and revenue records along the way.
Lynne Traverse, Chair
Alison Chaney, Vice Chair
Mary Farrington-Lorch, Secretary
Gerry Sowers, Treasurer
Lies’l Hill, Singer Representative
Jason Raetz, Singer Representative
Gregg Ewart
Richard Gerig
Kathy Leffler
Charles “Carlos” Oldham
Lynn Ruby
Ellen Wesley
Elayne Achilles
Blanton Alspaugh
Becky Bell Ballard
Kimber Lanning
Dorothy Lincoln-Smith
Joy Lubeck
Matthew Tresler
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