Seattle Pro Musica Programs
Through our Education and Outreach Program, initiated in 1990, Seattle Pro Musica strives to inspire children and youth to develop a lifelong love for choral music. This program offers student singers the invaluable opportunity to sing with an adult choir in a professional setting, receive advice and encouragement in the company of other talented young people, and to inspire their entire school choir program with the insights and experience they gain.
During our last completed season (2010-11), to enrich and inspire our audiences and increase access to choral music, we:
- Partnered with several local music teachers to invite their most promising young students to rehearse and perform with us during our March concert, where we performed Handel’s Dixit Dominus, Chandos Anthem No. 8,and Utrecht Jubilate Deo. This concert was presented as part of the celebrated American Handel Festival – a renowned annual event which attracts scholars and performers from around the world.
- Shared preview performances of our May concert, Appear and Inspire, with patrons in local retirement centers.
- Offered reduced-price or complimentary passes to members of traditionally underserved communities – local students; seniors; the disabled; the homeless; and the local artist community – which allowed a wide range of individuals, all with limited incomes, access to a high-quality musical performance.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
We had a wonderfully successful December concert series; two of our three performances of Celtic Christmas sold out over a week prior to the concert, and we added a performance to accommodate audience demand. We received excellent feedback about the quality of the music and experience from our audiences. We also enjoyed our second year of working with local students and their teachers to present our now-annual program, ‘Christmas with Seattle Pro Musica – a Family Holiday Concert’.
Now, we are looking forward to our 40th Anniversary season, which will include our full series of concerts, plus the recently announced performances of Britten’s War Requiem with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Chorale, and Northwest Boychoir! We are planning additional activities and events to increase the reach of both our adult and educational outreach programs.
To achieve the goals of our 40th Anniversary Season, we need additional administrative support. In years past, through careful budgeting and planning, Seattle Pro Musica was able to employ a full-time Administrative Assistant to help manage our outreach programs; as a response to the recent recession, we had to make significant cutbacks in our level of administrative support.
Currently, all operations are completed by a dedicated staff of three, one of whom works part time. We are also lucky to have a substantial group of devoted volunteers who reduce the burden. Nonetheless, to maintain and increase our high levels of artistic and administrative quality, and to increase our reach in the community (specifically to underserved populations), we need to reduce the considerable strain on our staff. To accomplish this goal, Seattle Pro Musica would like to bring our valuable part-time employee to full-time status.