Maryland Palestrina Choir
The Maryland Palestrina Choir
We specialize in the performance of choral music from the late fifteenth through early seventeenth centuries. Our group is fun and relaxed, but committed to pursuing excellent musicianship and expression. As a “town and gown” ensemble, we are composed of faculty/staff, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as community members connected to the University of Maryland. In addition to exploring the connection between poetry, song, and historical performance at UMD, our primary goal as a group is to foster friendship and growth across various disciplines and ages.
History
Directors
Photo by Arts Laureate
The Maryland Palestrina Choir was founded by Janet Hagelgans in 2007 as a way for University of Maryland students to share in their love of Renaissance music. It expanded to become a "town and gown" ensemble, and performed regularly at campus events from 2007-2019. After a hiatus, the group was restarted by former and current director Kara Pleasants in the fall of 2023 when she returned to teaching at UMD.
The ensemble emphasizes the performance of early 15th through 17th century music, but has also (at times) expands its repertoire to include a broad range of pieces from medieval to modern times. We use themes as an access point for interpreting music, and enjoy researching and developing historic performance techniques into our singing.
The group rehearses Monday nights from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at UMD.
Current Directors: Director Kara Pleasants is a University of Maryland Senior Lecturer, and has been involved with the ensemble since its first rehearsal. In the past, she was a member of UMD's University Chorale and Voix de Chanson. She believes deeply in the transformational power of art in our everyday lives, and loves helping make poetry and music come alive through performance. She holds a master's of arts in English Language and Literature from UMD. Co-director Eric Beomjin Kim is a doctoral student and graduate assistant in choral conducting at UMD. Eric introduces himself as a nomadic conductor, enjoying an exuberant performing life in various venues across South Korea, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Iran, France, the Philippines, Romania, Kazakhstan and the United States. Eric holds a master’s degree in vocal pedagogy and choral conducting from Westminster Choir College and a bachelor’s degree in music from Taylor University.
You can contact them here.
Past Directors: University of Maryland alumna and Concert Choir veteran Janet Hagelgans founded the Maryland Palestrina Choir in 2007 while a Master’s candidate in Criminology & Criminal Justice. She directed the choir from 2007-2009, and again in 2013. Dr. Josh Perry-Parish directed the choir from 2009-2012 while a Master's student in choral conducting at the University of Maryland (in addition to his Doctorate in composition, also from UMD). Samantha Scheff directed the choir from 2016-2017 and Jack Perdue directed the choir from 2017-2018.