Kalamazoo Choral Arts

Our mission: to create, enhance, and transform community through singing.

Our story: Kalamazoo Choral Arts is a 77-year-old organization dedicated to bringing superb vocal music to audiences in Kalamazoo County and southwest Michigan. Founded as the Kalamazoo Bach Festival, we changed our name and mission in 2023 in order to establish a clear identity rooted in vocal music, to include more diverse music than we were previously able to present, and to welcome more diverse audiences.

Our concerts: KCA offers several concerts during the year: 

• The Holiday Concert, on the first Sunday in December, a beloved tradition that officially launches the local holiday season with music ranging from classical to traditional to contemporary, from various cultural traditions.
• “Love Is . . . ,” usually in early spring, offers a spetrum of older and newer music from a variety of traditions, Renaissance madrigals to rock and hip-hop, performed by the KCA chorus along with students, local musicians, and guest artists, all celebrating the many faces and forms of love
• Performances of music from the Western classical tradition, in collaboration with the Kalamazoo Symphony, the Kalamazoo Philharmonia, and others.

In addition, KCA brings to Kalamazoo world-class solo and choral artists, including Chanticleer, Voces 8, and the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers.

Our philosophy: The power of community lies at our core—the community inherent in choral singing, the community established in performance among chorus and audience, the larger community of which we strive to be a responsible and responsive part. We believe in music as a force in making and sustaining community. We strive to incorporate and represent the forces that honor the dignity of all people and work to bring them into community:

• Diversity: In our repertoire, our membership, and our audiences, we aim to represent human cultural variety.
• Equity: We pledge to provide every musician and audience member with what they need to create and enjoy our music. 
• Inclusion: We take responsibility for welcoming every member into the KCA community. Any local singer is welcome to request an audition.