In the Community - Princeton Pro Musica

Community Outreach and Collaboration

Princeton Pro Musica is committed to using its music to enrich and serve the community. PPM has collaborated with the Trenton Children’s Chorus, Princeton Girlchoir, the Polydora Ensemble and Roxey Ballet. Taking collaboration to new heights, PPM commissioned Mark Roxey, choreographer and Founding Director of Roxey Ballet, to create new choreography for Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Although Princeton’s 100-voice community chorus collaborates often with other local musical groups, working with a ballet company – especially to premiere a new creation – is unusual for a community chorus.

For many years, PPM has provided music for the commencement ceremony of Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, New Jersey. In recent years, the Chamber Chorus has sung annually for the Guild for Early Music festival at the Grounds for Sculpture in Trenton, and Princeton Pro Musica launched several initiatives to educate and reach out to its audience, high school age choral artists (to interact with members of PPM and other area ensembles) and those who teach them, singers of all ages in the community, and seniors in the greater Princeton community.

In prior years, Princeton Pro Musica has performed, among others, with Westfield Symphony, American Repertory Ballet, Princeton Girlchoir, and choirs from Robbinsville High School, Hopewell Valley Central High School, and Pennsbury High School.

Princeton Pro Musica appreciates the academic interests and inquisitive nature of its audience and seeks to help its listeners engage in the history and context of the works it presents. Princeton Pro Musica offers symposia and sits on panels to discuss key works.

Princeton Pro Musica offers pre-concert lectures before each of its concerts given by Dr. Brandau himself or one of a team of local PhD experts. Artistic Director Ryan Brandau provides audience members with substantive, essay-length program notes in each concert program that combine history, analysis, and contemporary issues to illuminate the rationale for and potential impact of the music chosen.

Youth Outreach

Dr. Brandau has been the headliner guest conductor of the festival concert combining five area high schools, and he served as an adjudicator at the NJACDA High School Choral Festival. He also leads vocal clinics for several area high schools.

Princeton Pro Musica created a Choral Festival to bring local high school choruses together with the full chorus and chamber chorus of PPM and an elite all-professional vocal ensemble whose members were drawn from groups such as Conspirare, Seraphic Fire, New York Polyphony, and the Choir of Trinity Wall Street. In the glorious acoustic of the Princeton University Chapel, approximately 200 singers gathered to sing joint repertoire and sing for each other. At the Festival, Artistic Director Ryan Brandau led workshops with each chorus, and the professional vocal ensemble held a workshop question/answer session with all of the high school singers, discussing small ensemble techniques and the life of a full-time professional choral musician. Because of the success of this program, Princeton Pro Musica intends to hold another festival using the same model in the near future.

For the performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Princeton Pro Musica collaborated with the Princeton Girlchoir, one of Princeton’s cherished musical organizations, in an effort to extend to those young women the opportunity to perform as part of a large choral-orchestral work with soloists and a professional orchestra of the highest caliber. Members of this ensemble worked with Dr. Brandau to prepare the trio, “Lift Thine Eyes,” which they performed in concert. Dr. Brandau also auditioned twelve young women to sing the role of “the youth” in the oratorio, giving them all the chance to prepare a solo audition, and giving one member the opportunity to sing the role in concert.

Senior Outreach

Princeton Pro Musica significantly expanded its outreach to the dynamic senior community of the greater Princeton area. The Chamber Chorus created a series of concert programs (holiday, Valentine’s Day, etc.) suited to performances at local senior residences. These programs are very positively received by staff and residents of communities. Princeton Pro Musica also facilitates transportation from these senior residences to Princeton Pro Musica subscription concerts.

Education

Princeton Pro Musica is committed to enriching the community and providing a legacy of choral music inspiration for future generations through collaborative performances, workshops, and other educational endeavors. Through pre-concert talks, public symposia separate from concerts, and continuing education courses of the Evergreen Forum at the Princeton Senior Resource Center, Princeton Pro Musica educates the general public in music history and theory.

Collaborate with Us

Princeton Pro Musica collaborates frequently with arts groups from Princeton and the surrounding area. To invite Princeton Pro Musica to teach or sing for your organization, please contact the PPM office by telephone 609-683-5122 or e-mail info@princetonpromusica.org.

Engage the Artistic Director to Teach

Artistic Director Ryan James Brandau regularly teaches courses in the Evergreen Academy of the Princeton Senior Resource Center. He is also available to work with high school choruses preparing for evaluation or outreach performances. To inquire about engaging Dr. Brandau to teach in your institution, please contact the PPM office by telephone 609-683-5122 or e-mail info@princetonpromusica.org.

Engage The Chamber Choir To Perform

The Princeton Pro Musica Chamber Chorus performs frequently for community groups. To inquire about engaging the Chamber Chorus to sing for your community or organization, please contact the PPM office by telephone 609-683-5122 or e-mail info@princetonpromusica.org.

Community Outreach and Collaboration

Collaborate with Us

Engage the Artistic Director to Teach

Engage The Chamber Choir To Perform

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