about us
The purpose of the Yakima Symphony Chorus is to promote and further choral music in Central Washington and to do all other things incidental thereto.
History
The Yakima Symphony Chorus was founded in 1971 by Brooke Creswell, conductor of the fledgling Yakima Symphony Orchestra (YSO). The first performance was held February 1, 1972, in the old Capitol Theatre. Subsequent performances were held with the orchestra in the Capitol Theatre, as well as Davis High School Auditorium, and J.M. Perry Technical Institute Auditorium. The Chorus currently performs at The Seasons Performance Hall, The Capitol Theatre, among local venues.
Whether with the YSO or as its own entity, the Yakima Symphony Chorus has undertaken to present the full measure of choral music to an appreciative Yakima audience. Present Chorusmaster, Scott R. Peterson, has led or prepared the group through such masterworks as Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Requiems by Verdi, Brahms, and Mozart, as well as many important choral works such as Randall Thompson’s Peaceable Kingdom and Ralph Vaughan William’s Mass in G Minor. Over the years, highlights have included semi-staged performances of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado, Trial by Jury, and H.M.S. Pinafore.
Members of the Chorus participated in a European tour in 1979 and a choral festival with John Rutter in Warwick, England, in 1989. In May 1993, members of the Chorus sang Mozart's Requiem with the Manhattan Philharmonic Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, conducted by Dr. Peterson. They toured Beijing and Shanghai, China in 2004. On the most recent tour, in November 2009, members of the Chorus sang in Vienna and Stein and der Donau, Austria and Praque, Czech Republic.
The opportunity to perform a more intimate, challenging repertoire was presented by the creation of the Yakima Chamber Singers in 1985. Membership in the Chamber Singers is by audition, with participation in the Symphony Chorus as a prerequisite.
Dr. Scott Peterson, Chorusmaster
Scott R. Peterson is in his 34th season as Chorusmaster of the Yakima Symphony Chorus, resident chorus of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra. During his tenure, the Yakima Symphony Chorus has performed major works from the orchestral/choral literature. In addition, the YSC performs in its own right as one of the finest community choral ensembles in Washington State. They have performed all over the world including Carnegie Hall in New York, Switzerland, France, China, and most recently at the 2009 Advent Festival in Vienna, Austria, and Prague, Czech Republic.
Dr. Peterson is active as a performer outside the Yakima area and is a member of the well-known Male Ensemble Northwest, which is made up of professional choral conductors and performed Randall Thompson’s Testament of Freedom with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra. MEN has produced four CD’s: Promised Land, Reflections of Christmas, A Norman Luboff Tribute and Sweet Rivers. In 1993, he made his Carnegie Hall debut conducting Mozart's Requiem. He conducted the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Chamber Chorale and Festival Chorus at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, from 2001 through 2007. He is active as an adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor throughout the region. In 2009, he conducted the Washington Music Education Association Junior High All-State Choirs in Burien and Spokane.
Dr. Peterson is a member of the music faculty at Yakima Valley Community College where he conducts the Y.V.C.C. Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. He received the Robert Leadon Teaching Award, the most prestigious faculty award at YVCC, and received the President’s Award and Choral Leadership Award from the Washington State Chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association. He is also a recipient of both the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Teaching and Mentor Award from his alma mater, Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska.
A native of Iowa, Scott Peterson received his D.M.A. degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington where he conducted the U. W. Opera Chorus. He was granted Central Washington University’s first M. A. degree in conducting where he formed and conducted the Central Chorale and a B. A. degree in music education from Midland Lutheran College where he conducted the Freshmen Chorale. He has studied with Robert DeCormier, Dale Warland, Abraham Kaplan, Joan Conlon, William Hatcher, Maurice Skones, E. Gordon Leavitt and Eugene B. Nelson. He also twice performed as a member of the Robert Shaw Festival Singers in Carnegie Hall under Robert Shaw.
Scott and his wife Jane live in Yakima where she is a music specialist in the Yakima School District and co-conductor of the Yakima Children’s Choir. They can often be seen plying the waters of Puget Sound aboard their Carver cruiser, the Choral C.
2011-2012 Board of Officers
Chair: Mary Winterfeld 509-594-8428 yscprez@gmail.com
Dr. Scott Peterson, Chorusmaster 509-574-4836 choralc@gmail.com
Vice-Chair: Mark Northcott yscvice@gmail.com
Secretary: Caitlin Beazely yscsec@gmail.com
Treasurer: Trish Pernaa ysctreasure@gmail.com
Member-at-Large: Kimberly Ruck yscmal@gmail.com
Soprano Representative: Joyce Hollenbaugh yscsopranos@gmail.com
Alto Representative: Robin Kisala yscaltos@gmail.com
Tenor Representative: Robert Swires ysctenors@gmail.com
Bass Representative: David Ramsey-Warner yscbasses@gmail.com
Past President: Sandy Baxter yscpastprez@gmail.com
YSO Music Director: Dr. Lawrence Golan
Meet the Chorus
Dr. Scott Peterson, Chorusmaster
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Sopranos |
Tenors Basses |
Altos |
Newsletter Archive
2011
May 2011 [529 KB]
Elections Newsletter2010
January - February 2010
March - April 2010
Summer 2010
September 2010
Fall 2010
Winter 2010
Dia de los Muertos Concert 2009
Reviews
April 13, 2003
Dear Scott,
Thank you so very very much for a FANTASTIC performance for Mostly Nordic 2003. I was impressed by the finesse of the group (phrasing, dynamics, diction) and such superb ensemble. The repertoire was perfectly varied and the emotional impact was unforgettable. Please give the chorus a big BRAVISSIMI for me!
I thank you for your gumption in contacting us and salute you as a conductor, pedagogue and enthusiast of Nordic culture. Thank you Scott!
Sincerely,
Lisa Bergman
The Nordic Heritage Museum
Seattle, Washington
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May 10, 2003
Dear Scott,
Please forward my sincere thanks to your choir as well. It was a great journey for us. I truly enjoyed the process of getting to know them last week and then watch them become more trusting and open as this process continued. After the concert, some of the most insightful and heartfelt comments came from your singers--a testament to the measure of their heart and the depth at which they feel and perform.
You sang well, conducted very well. I loved the set the YSC did, particularly the Humble Service setting.
The sharing was a real success. I am glad at this point that we have next year to look forward to.
Best wishes for the remainder of your year,
Geoffrey
Dr. Geoffrey Boers
Conductor
Tacoma Symphony Chorus
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Feb. 12, 2004
Scott R. Peterson, Chorusmaster;
Yakima Symphony Chorus
Dear Scott,
Well, the YSO owes you a major THANK YOU for last Saturday evening's success. The YSC sang beautifully; you had the YCC whipped into peak shape; you led the glee club and negotiated a baritone soloist. That all took a lot of weight off my mind, and I appreciated the lighter load.
Please extend by gratitude and congratulations to the YSC for their terrific performance. You've brought them a long distance in the past five years. I look forward to our future collaborations with enthusiasm.
FELIX CONIUNCTIO!
Sincerely,
B
Brooke Creswell
Cover Conductor
Yakima Symphony Orchestra
(Carmina Burana performance on February 7, 2004)
| UPCOMING CONCERTS |
Coming in April 2012
Titanic: Centennial Commemoration
100 Years to the Day!
Yakima Symphony Chorus
32 N. 3rd Street, Suite 333, Yakima, Washington 98901