The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer has been hailed as “the world’s reigning male chorus” by the New Yorker and is known worldwide as “an orchestra of voices” for its extensive repertoire and dazzling virtuosity. Founded in San Francisco in 1978 by singer and musicologist Louis Botto, Chanticleer quickly took its place as one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world, selling more than a million recordings and performing thousands of live concerts to audiences around the world.
Chanticleer’s repertoire is rooted in the Renaissance and has continued to expand to include a wide range of classical, gospel, jazz, popular music and a deep commitment to the commissioning of new compositions and arrangements. The ensemble has committed much of its vast recording catalog to these commissions, garnering Grammy Awards for its recording of Sir John Tavener’s Lamentations & Praises, and the ambitious collection of commissioned works titled “Colors of Love.”
Chanticleer is the recipient of the Dale Warland/Chorus America Commissioning Award and the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming. Its Music Director Emeritus Joseph H. Jennings received the Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award for his contribution to the African-American choral tradition during his tenure with Chanticleer.
Named for the “clear-singing” rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Chanticleer continues to maintain ambitious programming in its hometown of San Francisco, including a large education and outreach program that annually reaches more than 8,000 people. Its annual concert series includes its legendary holiday tradition “A Chanticleer Christmas.”
Please note: Biographies are based on information provided to the CSOA by the artists or their representatives. More current information may be available on websites of the artists or their management.
