UMS Choral Union

Throughout its 130-year history, the University Musical Society Choral Union has performed with many of the world's distinguished orchestras and conductors. Based in Ann Arbor under the aegis of the University Musical Society (UMS), the 175-voice Choral Union is known for its definitive performances of large-scale works for chorus and orchestra.

Fourteen years ago, the UMS Choral Union further enriched that tradition when it began appearing regularly with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO). The UMS Choral Union has joined the DSO in Detroit's Orchestra Hall and at Meadowbrook for subscription performances of Verdi's Requiem, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, John Adams' Harmonium, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Mahler's Symphony No. 3, Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé and Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem, and has recorded Tchaikovsky's The Snow Maiden with the orchestra for Chandos, Ltd.

In 1995, the UMS Choral Union began accepting invitations to appear with other major regional orchestras, and soon added Britten's War Requiem, Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, Berlioz' Requiem along with other masterworks to its repertoire. During the 1996/1997 season, the UMS Choral Union again expanded its scope to include performances with the Grand Rapids Symphony when it joined them in a concert of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 (Symphony of a Thousand).

Led by Grammy Award-winning conductor and music director Jerry Blackstone, the UMS Choral Union was a participant chorus in a rare performance and recording of William Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and of Experience in Hill Auditorium in April 2004 under the baton of Leonard Slatkin. Naxos released a three-disc set of this recording in October 2004, featuring the UMS Choral Union and U-M School of Music ensembles. The recording won four Grammy Awards in 2006, including "Best Choral Performance" and "Best Classical Album." The recording was also selected as one of The New York Times "Best Classical Music CDs of 2004."

The 2006-07 season included collaborations with the DSO, including Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, conductor) and John Adams's On the Transmigration of Souls (John Adams, conductor). Additional performances included Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 ("Babi Yar") with the Kirov Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre (Valery Gergiev, conductor), the Verdi Requiem with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (Arie Lipsky, conductor), as well as its seasonal performances of Handel's Messiah (Jerry Blackstone, conductor).

This 2007-08 season further collaborations with the DSO, including Detroit Orchestral Hall performances of the Verdi Requiem (Hans Graf, conductor) and the Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (Peter Oundjian, conductor), and a special Good Friday performance in Ann Arbor's Hill Auditorium of J. S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion (Jerry Blackstone, conductor). This year's performances of Handel’s Messiah (Jerry Blackstone, conductor) round out an exciting season.

The 2008-09 season includes two concerts in Ann Arbor — the annual performances of Messiah with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra in December and a concert with the UMS Choral Union and two pianos featuring works of Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, Jonathan Dove, and Carl Orff at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in April. In addition, the UMS Choral Union has been invited to perform with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for the opening weekend of conducted by Leonard Slatkin as the DSO’s new music director. These performances will feature Carl Orff’s popular work, Carmina Burana.

Participation in the UMS Choral Union remains open to all students and adults by audition

For more information about the UMS Choral Union, e-mail choralunion@umich.edu or call 734-763-8997.