Name: The Master Singers
Address: P.O. Box 3194, Eau Claire, WI, 54702

The Master Singers, a community chamber ensemble with membership from throughout the Greater Chippewa Valley, performs repertoire from a rich choral tradition. The ensemble is celebrating its Silver Anniversary Concert Season in 2017- 2018 with a subscription series featuring three concerts. The Master Singers is pleased to be working with Connor Koppin as composer-in-residence this season. The ensemble is dedicated to the fostering, promotion and appreciation of choral music in the Greater Chippewa Valley with the membership of The Master Singers from colleges and universities that are noted for a strong choral tradition. Annually, the ensemble performs in churches and concert halls in the Chippewa Valley, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, including, since 1997, performing as guest artist in the Missa Choralis Series at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis. Additionally, the ensemble has appeared in Wisconsin at the River Arts Center in Prairie du Sac, the Richland Concert Association in Richland Center, the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts in Menomonie, the Heyde Center for the Arts in Chippewa Falls and the Flambeau Valley Arts Association in Ladysmith. The Master Singers has collaborated with prominent choral conductors/composers including Eric Barnum, Jackson Berkey, Eph Ehly, Dan Forrest, James Fritschel, Dale Grotenhuis, Dan Kallman, Connor Koppin, Zachary Moore, James Mulholland, Andrew Steffen, Z. Randall Stroope, Timothy Takach, and Jeffrey Van. This collaboration has involved annual commissioned works for the ensemble from numerous composers over their history. The Master Singers have available over 30 compact discs for sale to the public. The Master Singers has appeared in concert with the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra, Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra, Philadelphia Brass, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Symphony Orchestra. Since 2006, The Master Singers has been featured on Wisconsin Public Radio in an annual broadcast of their Christmas concert. In 2017, WPR will begin broadcasting their fall series, America, My Home. The Master Singers performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. in February 2013. In 2014, the ensemble participated in a choral residency with composer Dan Forrest in Chicago. Most recently, The Master Singers participated in the Four Freedom Choral Festival in Washington D.C. honoring Franklin Delano Roosevelt in April 2016. The Master Singers have been invited to perform in the 75th Anniversary of D-Day and the Liberation of France Choral Festival in Paris in July 2019. To learn more about the ensemble, please visit our website at www.themastersingers.net. Gary R. Schwartzhoff, Professor Emeritus, served as the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 1991 to 2016. In addition, he taught choral music in Iowa and Missouri during his career. Schwartzhoff received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Central College in Pella, Iowa, a Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa and a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Conducting at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri. In 2017, Schwartzhoff marks his forty-fourth year as a music educator. He has been active throughout his professional career in the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) where he served as President of the North Central Division from 1992-94. The Wisconsin Choral Directors Association (WCDA) awarded him the Morris Hayes Award for lifetime achievement in the choral art and the Outstanding Church Musician. Schwartzhoff has presented choirs on over thirty conventions before the state, divisional and national levels of ACDA, Intercollegiate Male Choruses and The National Association for Music Education. Schwartzhoff has conducted the Oklahoma All-State, Minnesota Men’s All- State Choir and WCDA Men’s Honor Chorus. Schwartzhoff has conducted choral festivals honoring former Presidents of the United States in Washington D.C. in 2009 (Lincoln), 2013 (JFK) and 2016 (FDR). In 2019, Schwartzhoff will conduct the 75th Anniversary of D-Day and the Liberation of France Choral Festival in Paris, France. Schwartzhoff serves as Director of Music at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Eau Claire, where he conducts the Chancel Choir. Gary is married to Nancy Schwartzhoff and they have two daughters, Jenifer Morgan (Jerry), and Rebecca Johnson (Andy), and grandchildren Brady, Alex, Anna, Emma, and Clare. For more information about The Master Singers including concerts, tickets, performance locations, commissioned composers and works, guest artists, recordings, and news, visit our website at: www.TheMasterSingers.net

The Master Singers

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