A Soul-Stirring Music Group from Madison


Madison Choral Project

EXPRESS. INSPIRE. HEAL.


In “Madison Choral Project” we take the “project” part seriously. We believe we are an active part of bringing people together to connect through music, using our voices to express and reflect on our human experience. That’s what art is.


Our project is to enrich lives in our community by giving voice to the great music of our diverse world;
to express, to inspire, to heal;
to garner joy in the experience of live music;
and to educate and strengthen the next generation of singers and listeners. 

The Madison Choral Project is not just a choir,

it's a movement to improve our human experience through music.

JOY IN THE EXPERIENCE OF LIVE MUSIC

Over the last 10 years, The Madison Choral Project has presented 24 concert projects, and commissioned and premiered 13 new compositions. More than 5,300 people have experienced the Madison Choral Project’s rich and unique sounds, exposure to exhilarating repertoire, and evocative and contemplative messages; leaving with a full heart and mind.

TRADITION + INNOVATION

When Dr. Pinsonneault came to Madison in 2009, he noticed a love

of choral music in the Madison, WI community. There wasn’t a professional choir and Dr. Pinsonneault created the vision for one beginning in May of 2013. The money for paying singers is more than just getting the best voices, it is about being able to hold each singer accountable to a higher standard than you otherwise could in working with volunteer singers. While the singers appreciate the compensation, they equally appreciate the consistently high standards of artistry. The exact roster evolves through each project, but the exquisite blended sound, refined technique and moving performances remain steadfast under Dr. Pinsonneault’s expertise.

MEET THE DIRECTOR

ENRICH LIVES IN OUR COMMUNITY

By enriching lives in Madison and beyond, MCP becomes a driving force in the arts community. Our performances support a multitude of music artists from Madison who, in turn, contribute to the vibrant artistic landscape of our town.  Madison Choral Project makes it easier for a professional singer to choose Madison to expand their skills and showcase their work.  Many musicians from Madison in turn, generate other artistic collaborations throughout the area.

MEET OUR MUSICIANS
Famous Wisconsin Singers
Choirs in Wisconsin

It is paramount to this mission that music artists from Madison are given the opportunity to contribute to projects as often as possible.


Multiple singers who have performed with Madison Choral Project have gone on to perform with the GRAMMY-award winning singing group, The Crossing, such as Madison local Dr. Daniel O’Dea.


WE ATTRACT ELITE

SINGERS

Of all the music groups from Madison, Madison Choral Project has remained the premier, award-winning, professional choral group and dazzled audiences with their harmonious blend of singers from Madison, Illinois, Minnesota.

WORLD PREMIERES
  • When the World Stopped

    The world crisis of 2020 nearly halted Madison Choral Project permanently, however, a true spark of desire for the mission and purpose was never extinguished, and Dr. Albert Pinsonneault’s vision was re-ignited.  Despite the difficulty of over 2 years of not singing together, and limitations of singing through masks at that time, their return to in-person performance featuring Menotti’s "The Unicorn, The Gorgon, and the Manticore," which was originally scheduled to be performed in March 2020, felt like coming home, along with some levity,  “The piece is silly and filled with lots of love and comedy. It has a poignant moral to teach us at the end.”


    “One of the things that I missed [during that 2 year period] was the chance to laugh together. Now I’m so excited to do a piece of music that has depth to it, but doesn't take itself too seriously. It adds some levity that I think we all need right now. And coming back to this material two years later feels like reclaiming something that was lost. It shows our resilience, finally mounting this piece that we were all so excited about. “When you get knocked down, one of the most beautiful things is getting up.” Dr. Pinsonneault remarked. 

  • Who We Are

    From soul-searching to social justice, Madison Choral Project infuses relevant and heart-centered themes throughout their performances. “As much time and focus as music does pay to the brilliant composers that came before us,” Pinsonneault said, “it should also be reactive to our modern concerns. If we’re not responding to what people are worried about today, do we have any relevance at all? The function of art is not just to be pretty. The function of art is to engage people’s minds and spirits and hearts.” 


    Dr. Pinsonneault invites deeper reflection, exclaiming, “I don’t want to just be a museum for yesterday’s beautiful art”. said Pinsonneault. Not every concert will take on contemporary themes in this way, but he hopes that over time, the Madison Choral Project’s repertoire will provide a “balanced diet” in genres, languages, issues and forms of expression.  They will surely become your most favorite musical groups from Madison. 


    Over the last 10 years, The Madison Choral Project has presented 24 concert projects, and commissioned and premiered 13 new compositions. More than 5,300 people have experienced the Madison Choral Project’s rich and unique sounds, exposure to exhilarating repertoire, and evocative and contemplative messages; leaving with a full heart and mind.

  • Your Generous Support

    Over 10 years, MCP has generated over $117,000 in ticket revenue. Thus far, we have earned $106,000 from competitive public and private grants along with generous sustaining donors.


    Why does this matter? The Madison Choral Project is not just a choir, it’s a movement to improve our human experience through music.  Over the past 10 years, we have invested more than $300,000 in the regional arts economy through contracting designers, technicians, and musicians from Madison.  


    We want to continue supporting phenomenal music artists from Madison.  In order to keep bringing you exquisite and elite level voices, music that sparks emotion and a sense of home, sustainable funding is paramount.   Contributions from patrons like you allow choral music to continue captivating and bringing diverse joy to new audiences.   


    Community education and collaborations align with core tenants of the mission to educate and strengthen the next generation of singers and listeners. Madison Youth Choir, Madison Bach Musicians, University of Wisconsin Odyssey Project, "Third Age" class for aging voices, MCP-led Conducting Symposium, UW-Madison graduate-student conductors, and a volunteer community chorus.  


    We are so grateful for your sustaining support!

FOR MCP TO SUSTAIN AND THRIVE


Key branches of financial health of the organization:


Ticket Revenue

Over the past 10 years, MCP has generated $117,000

Grants and Donors

Earned $106,000 from public and private grants, and generous sustaining donors

Investments

Over $300,000 in the regional arts community through contracting a variety of professionals 

FEATURED

As an award-winning Madison music group,  MCP continue to raise the bar with their performance while also expanding their goal of regional, state and ultimately national recognition.

Peer-Review

Selected by blind peer-review for performance at ACDA Midwest Regional Convention

2018

Headliner

ACDA Midwest Regional Convention

2020

FEBRUARY 2023

This project was supported in part by a grant from the Madison Arts Commission, with funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board. 

PAST PROJECTS

OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

madison choral project
music artists from Madison
many musicians from Madison
Madison music group
musicians from Madison

Beautiful voices, absolutely great sound! I love this Madison Choral Project!

-Prior attendee

I attended your recent concert in Madison. As a professional musician with 50 years in the business, I have to say that is one of the best concerts I've ever heard.

-Stephanie Jutt, Artistic Director,

Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society

Your music continues to allow my heart to sing!

-Prior attendee

The Madison Choral Project features a world premiere.


The Madison Choral Project bills itself as Madison’s only professional and paid choir, and judging by the results, the a cappella group has succeeded, creating many loyal fans. Read more.

Interviews: Madison Choral Project's Bert Pinsonneault

WPR aired multiple interviews through the years with the director of the Madison Choral Project, Bert Pinsonneault.  You can learn about the origin of MCP, and more stories below:

  • 2015: discussion with composer Dale Warland
  • 2016How can a choir become a project? In this excerpt, Dr. Albert Pinsonneault discusses Madison Choral Project, a professional chamber choir with a mission focused on improving the human condition and connecting choral music with community stories.
  • 2018: Discussing the theme "Hope in the Future."

With 'Privilege,' Madison Choral Project sings on social justice


Conductor Albert Pinsonneault has no problem with music that’s pretty. A beautiful song is fine with him.

For Madison Choral Project’s upcoming concert, though, he wanted something with a more forceful message. Read more.

Madison Choral Project puts on unique seasonal concerts

You can count on Madison Choral Project artistic director Albert Pinsonneault to eschew nutcrackers, sleigh bells and dreidels at the December concerts of his 30-voice choir. Instead, he takes the annual opportunity to look at the big picture. Read more.

Unique commissioned work by Wisconsin composer, Scott Gendel

“Gendel’s music is direct and accessible, with very clear and very close expression of the text. Gendel has extensive operatic experience, and the vocal lines in his choral writing are designed to tell stories. But here is what really sets Gendel’s music apart: Unlike many modern composers who write wall-to-wall pretty chords, or conversely, consistently dissonant music, Gendel follows the inspiration of the text. What results is strikingly tender and gorgeous moments that stick more poignantly because they are shaded by dissonance or other mixed textures.

An analogy: a chocolate dessert is sweetest after a savory meal. A whole evening of sweets becomes sickly. Come enjoy a perfectly balanced meal with MCP.”  - Albert Pinsonneault

Read more.

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Current Board Members


Jen Streit

Rachel Edie Warrick

Cecilie Ballard

George Cleary

Paul Gregg

John Mleziva

Sarah Schubert Liu

Lynne Judd

Deb Anken-Dyer

Albert Pinsonneault



As a non-profit organization, our Board of Directors provide guidance, financial and strategic planning, and uphold the mission of MCP.   We are grateful for all their contributions.


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