Since 1996, Chanteuses has entertained Sacramento region audiences with its distinctive sound. A broad range of repertoire and a long history of music‐making excellence continue to make our region's premiere female a cappella ensemble a favorite with audiences. One of the group's trademarks is exploring a surprisingly diverse collection of choral literature for treble voices. This emphasis has resulted in a passionate and loyal audience base for the ensemble. The ensemble was formed by founding conductor Jack Miller in the fall of 1996 with a premiere performance at the Pioneer Congregational Church.
Chanteuses has maintained a strong tradition of performing in area churches. Most recently, Chanteuses has been grateful to accept a warm welcome from St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church in Arden-Arcade, where we rehearse and perform. Since the foundation of Chanteuses, the ensemble has collaborated with outstanding regional arts organizations including Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College, the Bear Valley Music Festival, the Camellia Symphony, and the Deane‐Crockett Dance Studio, and Vocale, a male choral ensemble. Chanteuses also frequently performs as part of the "Music at Noon" series at Westminster Presbyterian Church near the Capitol. Chanteuses is proud to have produced its first-ever fully professional CD recording, An A Cappella Christmas, traveled on a performance tour of Quebec City, Canada, and continues preparing outstanding concerts of wonderful choral music for the people of the Sacramento region.
In 2018 we started what we plan to be a growing tradition of, "She Sings". Inviting two outstanding high school women's groups, we performed a joint concert with each group performing individually, then joining on three numbers at the end of the concert. Our hope is to continue to recognize outstanding programs in our schools and to encourage young women to make singing a life-long pursuit.
Chanteuses was the recipient of a newly commissioned work, "Gifts" for harp and women's chorus, in 2019 and continues to seek new and diverse works for women's voices.
Chanteuses will continue to seek opportunities for collaborative work with new artists, composers, and young aspiring singers.
The mission of Chanteuses is also its passion: To give the people of the Sacramento region a world-class, female, choral ensemble that explores and adds to a diverse collection of outstanding choral works. The passion begins in the hearts of each of our members, all motivated and skilled performers who have a great love for music and for the place we live.
Outreach: Chanteuses' most pressing need is for help in making the group's outreach more effective. The group strongly desires to broaden its audience base and share outstanding music with more people. Developing a marketing strategy that can be implemented by volunteers would be the most cost effective. When funds become available, creating a position for a marketing / website person would be extraordinary!
Equipment: Choral risers would allow more flexibility in choosing venues for performances and community outreach.
Chanteuses hopes to expand its repertoire offerings through purchase and commissions of diverse, contemporary works for women's choral ensembles.
We would like to reach out to more singers as well as letting community members know of our concerts in the future.
Concert Manager: Chanteuses needs a passionate, dedicated, non-singer concert manager to help with venues, publicity, group photos/videos, tickets, signs, volunteers, programs, CD sales, and post-concert receptions.
Financial support for Director: Chanteuses Director William Zinn is a professional musician, and the group needs financial support to continue to grow and mature under his leadership. Annual cost is approximately $6680.
Chanteuses has been fortunate to have skilled help maintaining audience contact through email and website platforms.
We would like to develop these efforts further by consulting with a graphic designer familiar with the needs of performing arts organizations and music performance specifically.
We are an open and affirming chorus composed of singers of many professions, ages, cultures, and life experiences, and we foster a deeply felt sense of community and personal fulfillment. Through our investment of time, focus, and energy, we create beauty, intellectual stimulation, and social connection. We strive to enrich the greater community through our performances and outreach programs.
Organization name
Chanteuses
1996
Mission Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Operating Budget
$0-$50,000
Organization Need
Funding: Other, Technology
Local Counties Served
Sacramento
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Address
8170 Ridgetop CtSacramento, CA, US
Placer, CA, US
Yolo, CA, US