mission/history

Founded in 1967 by the late Paul Hill, The Master Chorale of Washington was featured in the inaugural concert of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1971 and has been performing in the Concert Hall ever since on an average of eight to ten times annually in its own subscription series and as a guest chorus for other arts organizations.

In 1969, National Symphony Orchestra conductor Howard Mitchell was suddenly confronted with a problem—the organization that was contracted to be the featured chorus in an upcoming NSO concert was no longer available—so he called upon Paul Hill for help.

In a matter of two short weeks, Hill recruited 44 new singers to expand a small, informal singing group of 36 with whom he had been rehearsing “...for fun, with no real plans of performing” and prepared them to perform Beethoven’s demanding Fidelio with the NSO. That was the beginning of what was then called the Paul Hill Chorale and today is known as the Master Chorale of Washington.

Over the past 40 years, the National Symphony Orchestra has invited the Master Chorale to perform in a guest chorus role under such notable conductors as Maestros Mitchell, Doráti, Kabalevsky, Rudel, Frühbeck de Burgos, Marriner, Rostropovich, and Slatkin.

Most recently, MCW performed the world premiere performance of Jarod Tate’s Iholba (The Vision) with members of the NSO with Emil de Cou conducting as part of The Kennedy Center’s 2005 Prelude Festival. The chorale was featured once again in January 2006 in three NSO performances of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio.  Then, MCW joined three other major DC choruses in three NSO performances of Mahler’s Symphony #8 (Symphony of a Thousand) in June, conducted by Leonard Slatkin as well as under the baton of Marvin Hamlisch in four NSO Pops performances of Happy Holidays!  The chorale was also presented by the Arlington Public Library in a commemorative performance entitled Remember and Honor: Five Years after September 11.  MCW will once again join the National Symphony Orchestra on stage in April 2008 to perform Mahler’s Symphony #2.

The Master Chorale has also appeared as a guest chorus in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall with such noteworthy organizations as Joffrey Ballet, Virginia Symphony, Washington Chamber Symphony, Richmond Symphony, and Northwest Pacific Ballet.

MCW has also been featured on National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), for which it won an Emmy in the telecast of Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore, has appeared three times on Garrison Keillor’s American Radio Company, has won national recognition from Chorus America as the recipient of The Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence in North America, and has been recognized regionally with a Wammie Award (Washington Area Music Award) for Best Choral Group.

Under the direction of Donald McCullough, the Master Chorale has performed thirteen world premieres, produced three nationally distributed CD’s, and received several prestigious honors and awards. MCW also tours internationally, including a recent tour in Germany and Poland and a tour of Central Europe in 2000.

MCW has also been honored as a featured chorus at numerous conventions including at the American Choral Directors Association’s 2003 National Convention in New York City, the American Guild of Organists Regional Convention in May 2003, and the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Regional Convention held in Pittsburgh in February 2002.

The Master Chorale of Washington for over 20 years has followed the model of the world’s finest choruses, employing a complement of professional singers within its rigorously auditioned and extremely talented volunteer base.