* En anglais uniquement
New York's
Dessoff Choirs comprise several smaller groups -- the
Dessoff Symphonic Choir and the
Dessoff Chamber Choir -- that perform separately and together. The groups collectively share an orientation toward new and unusual music.
The choirs trace their origin to 1924 when choral conductor Margarete Dessoff founded the Adesdi Chorus and the A Cappella Singers in New York. She brought those two groups together in 1930 under the
Dessoff Choirs rubric, forming smaller groups, the
Dessoff Symphonic Choir and the
Dessoff Chamber Choir, as performance circumstances demanded. Dessoff conducted the New York premiere of
Bach's Cantata No. 4, BWV 4 ("Christ lag in Todes Banden"), the U.S. premiere of Italian Renaissance composer Orazio Vecchi's L'amfiparnaso (1594), and the American premiere of
Schoenberg's motet Friede auf Erden. An important figure in the choirs' early years was their second conductor, Paul Boepple, who spent 32 years on the podium and emphasized the performance of Renaissance music, which was rarely heard in New York in the middle 20th century. More recent conductors have included James Bagwell (2005-2010), who programmed sacred harp songs and other American forms, Christopher Shepard, and
Malcolm J. Merriweather. The
Dessoff Choirs collectively performed with the New York Wind Ensemble in 1951, at a concert marking the 2,000th anniversary of the city of Paris. Since then, they have performed in various configurations with New York's top instrumental ensembles, including the
New York Philharmonic in
Mahler's Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand") at one of
Lorin Maazel's final concerts as music director. The choirs also present regular season of a cappella performances. The
Dessoff Choirs are self-governing: members pay dues, sell tickets, serve as board members, and support the choirs through financial and in-kind donations. The
Choirs have operated a Singing Scholar Program in New York's public high schools since the late 2000s decade.
The
Dessoff Choirs were especially prolific as recording artists under Bagwell, releasing 13 albums. In 2019, they returned to the recording market, releasing an album devoted to the
Margaret Bonds cantata
The Ballad of the Brown King on the Avie label.