Robert Porco, Director
Matthew Swanson, Associate Director of Choruses
Heather MacPhail, Accompanist
Sergey Tkachenko, Conducting Fellow
Sarah Farwell, Chorus Manager
The May Festival Chorus has earned acclaim locally, nationally and internationally for its musicality, vast range of repertoire, and sheer power of sound. The Chorus of 130 avocational singers is the core artistic element of the Cincinnati May Festival as well as the official chorus of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and the Cincinnati Pops.
The May Festival Chorus has strengthened its national and international presence through numerous PBS broadcasts of live concerts and several award-winning recordings, many in collaboration with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops. Most recently, a live recording of Robert Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses featuring Music Director Laureate James Conlon conducting the Chorus and the CSO at Carnegie Hall was released to critical acclaim in 2016 (Bridge Records).
The May Festival Chorus has garnered awards in recognition of its continuing artistic excellence and performances throughout the state, including the Spirit of Cincinnati USA Erich Kunzel Queen City Advocate Award from Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Irma Lazarus Award from the Ohio Arts Council’s annual Governor’s Awards for the Arts.