Bella Voce

Bella Voce is one of only two fully professional choirs located in the Chicago region. Founded in 1982 as His Majestie's Clerkes, Bella Voce performs classic a cappella repertoire, early music of the Americas, and contemporary music from all over the world. In 2004 Bella Voce received the prestigious Alice Parker ASCAP Chorus America Award for programming that was 'an adventurous stretch' for both singers and audience. Distinguished guest conductors including Sir David Willcocks, Paul Hillier, Simon Preston, and Alice Parker have led the ensemble over the years. The ensemble has recorded for Centaur, Harmonica Mundi, Narada, and Cedille Records; and has three self-produced CDs in release. A noteworthy contribution of Bella Voce to the arts has been its commissions of choral works by Midwestern composers including Frank Ferko, Gustavo Leone, and Rami Levin. The latest of these commissions, Mar, a setting of a Garcia Lorca poem by Janika Vandervelde, was premiered in the spring of 2005. In 2005, the organization's longtime artistic director, Dr. Anne Heider, retired after more than 16 years leading the group. In 2006, after a year-long search, Andrew Lewis was named as Bella Voce's new artistic director.