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Master Chorale of South Florida Announces Nationwide Artistic Director Search

Dr. Karen Kennedy to Leave Master Chorale of South Florida

Ft. Lauderdale, FL, September 5, 2012: The Master Chorale of South Florida today announced that Dr. Karen Kennedy has resigned her position as artistic director and conductor, effective November 30th following the group’s fall performances of Carmina Burana and Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. In her resignation statement, Kennedy cited the extent of duties associated with her position as director of choral studies at the University of Miami.

"In examining the needs, wants, and growth initiatives of both programs, it has become clear that the University of Miami and the Master Chorale of South Florida will benefit more from separate leadership. Both entities will continue the supportive relationship already in place, and plan to collaborate and share resources for years to come," Kennedy explained.

In April 2013, the Master Chorale of South Florida will celebrate its 10th Anniversary with a gala concert of works conducted by all three artistic directors who have served the group since its inception. Kennedy will appear on the program, along with Jo-Michael Scheibe, now Director of Choral Studies at the University of Southern California, and Josh Habermann, Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Chorus.

Rehearsals for the spring concert will be led by interim conductor, Alec Schumacher, a University of Miami doctoral student in choral conducting and the Master Chorale’s associate conductor for the current fall season.

Preparations are underway to hire an artistic director who will start in June of 2013 in conjunction with the Master Chorale’s fiscal year. The Master Chorale’s Board of Directors has appointed an Artistic Director Search Committee, and the position will be posted nationally. The new leader of the critically acclaimed, 120 member chorale will be charged not only with advancing the Chorale artistically and building on the organization’s, high-quality profile, but also focusing on the group’s development needs.

In only 10 years, the Master Chorale of South Florida has become widely acknowledged as the premier classical choral ensemble in South Florida. The group performs primarily major choral/orchestral works throughout the tri-county area (Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties) with local and visiting orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, Russian National Symphony, New World Symphony, Andrea Bocelli and others. This coming season, the Master Chorale will perform twice with the Cleveland Orchestra, in Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 in November 2012 and again in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in March 2013.

For more information, please contact Nancy Gates-Lee at 954-770-2805.