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Cor Cantiamo singers to ‘explore the divine’ through music

October 18, 2014
Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson

Cor Cantiamo, an NIU School of Music ensemble in residence, will present “Inspirited: A Choral Concert Exploring the Divine” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26.

Artistic Director Eric Johnson and his singers will explore how composers attempt to understand the divine and create beauty in the world.The concert will feature contemporary voices of American composers Abbie Betinis, Jake Runestad and Timothy Takach to the poignant lamentations of Thomas Weelkes and poetry set by Brahms, Hindemith and Stanford.

The concert takes place in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall of the NIU Music Building. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students and free for children age 7 and younger.

Founded with the mission to perform and promote contemporary choral music and foster new composers for the art form, Cor Cantiamo is a touring chamber choir in residence at NIU.

Since its inception in the spring of 2009, the choir has emerged as an energetic and accomplished vocal ensemble, receiving accolades for their performances. Morten Lauridsen has praised the ensemble for presenting “choral artistry at its finest.”

In August 2014 Centaur Records released Cor Cantiamo’s first commercial album, “Canticum: Choral Music of Jaakko Mäntyjärvi.” Maestro Mäntyjärvi participated in all of the recording sessions and commended Cor Cantiamo as representing “professional excellence in choral music, examples of which are few and far between.”

This summer, Cor Cantiamo recorded with Abbey Road Studios’ Grammy Award-winning engineers for their second album, scheduled for release next spring.

Cor Cantiamo has expanded its artistic activities this season with new educational outreach programs, including an All-State Honor Choir audition clinic and clinics with local high school choirs preceding their concerts in Crystal Lake, Ill., and Carroll University in Wisconsin.

Cor Cantiamo

Cor Cantiamo

In addition to his work with Cor Cantiamo, Johnson is director of choral activities in the NIU School of Music.

For more information, call (815) 753-7984 or email ejohnsn@niu.edu.