The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus was formed in 1967 to provide a high-quality choral group for the many orchestral works that include children’s voices,
CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Orchestra has appointed Suzanne Walters to the newly created position of assistant director of the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Choruses. Ms. Walters will rehearse and direct the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Preparatory Chorus, and assist the director of the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus, Ann Usher.
Suzanne Walters joins the choral staff in September 2012, thus completing the expansion of the team of chorus directors, which now includes a director and assistant director for the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Youth Chorus, and Children’s Choruses.
The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2012-13 season features the Children’s Chorus in highlights that include the season-opening performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 led by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst on September 20 and 22; singing in the “Snow Scene” for The Joffrey Ballet’s silver anniversary production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker with The Cleveland Orchestra at PlayhouseSquare on November 29, 30, and December 1 and 2; and joining the Orchestra and Chorus for a subscription concert series of performances of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana on April 11, 12, 13, and 14, 2013, also under Mr. Welser-Möst’s direction.
SUZANNE WALTERS
Suzanne Walters is currently in her 24th year of teaching music in the public schools. She is a faculty member of the Jackson Local Schools, responsible for general music education for students in kindergarten through grade five. Additionally, she directs an elementary choir of ninety students.
At the University of Akron School of Music, Ms. Walters serves as special lecturer for music education students. She is the Elementary Repertoire and Standards Chair for the Ohio Choral Directors Association (OCDA), and a member of OCDA as well as the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA). She has served as a clinician for the OMEA District 8 Elementary Honors Choir.
Suzanne Walters holds a bachelor of music education degree from the College of Wooster and a master of music degree in music education from the University of Akron.
CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA CHILDREN’S CHORUSES
Ann Usher, Director
Suzanne Walters, Assistant Director
The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus was formed in 1967 to provide a high-quality choral group for the many orchestral works that include children’s voices, and to offer choral training to schoolchildren in the Cleveland area. The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Preparatory Chorus was formed by Ann Usher at the beginning of the 2005-06 season to provide preliminary choral and vocal training for younger singers in preparation for membership in the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus.
Today, the 50-member Children’s Chorus performs annually with The Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus at Severance Hall. Over the decades, the extensive performance history has included Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Britten’s War Requiem, Berlioz’s Te Deum, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. The children also sing at Holiday CircleFest each December and perform at the Orchestra’s annual Christmas Concerts. The Children’s Chorus presents an independent concert with the Children’s Preparatory Chorus each spring featuring a diverse repertoire of children’s chorus literature and has also sung the national anthem for Cleveland Indians, Cleveland City Stars, and Cleveland Browns home games.
