Ragazzi Boys Chorus
Encyclopedia
The Ragazzi Boys Chorus is a premier boys' and young men's chorus
in the San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco Bay Area
and is known for winning a Grammy Award
for Best Classical Album
in 2000
for its participation in Perséphone with the San Francisco Symphony
. The chorus was formed in 1987 with 6 boys, and it now includes more than 170 singers from 86 schools in 26 Bay Area communities including San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. The choir is internationally recognized and has placed highly in numerous international competitions. It also takes pride in successfully auditioning the most singers to either national or state American Choral Directors Association
honor choirs each year
Since its founding, Ragazzi has performed regularly with the San Francisco Opera
, San Francisco Symphony
, Opera San Jose
, West Bay Opera, Lawrence Pech
Dance Company, Peninsula Symphony, Masterworks Chorale and the Stanford University Symphonic Chorus among others.
Although young in age, the group has already produced notable alumni such as Ross Morey (Director/Founder of UCLA Bruin Harmony and Composer) and Tim Duncheon, ('07-'09) Pitchpipe of the The Spizzwinks(?)
Due to the immensity of its size, the chorus is divided into 5 groups. The preparatory group is called Primary Group, where young boys are trained to sing simple melodies. Due to the recent surge in numbers, two primary groups have been created, with Kathy Morey and Irene Kwok directing. The second beginning group is called Premier, where boys are trained to sight-sing, perform 4-part choral pieces, and develop vocal skills. Again, due to the rise in numbers, two Premier groups have been created, with Craig Morey directing both of the groups. The three advanced groups that the boys continues onto are Concert Group Apprentice (CGA), Concert Group (CG), and Young Men's Ensemble (YME). The first advanced group is Concert Group Apprentice, where prospective choristers need to have completed a comprehensive part of the choir's acclaimed theory program and have sung 5 standard repertoire pieces. In CGA, it is expected of choristers to be musically intelligent, punctual, and vocally mature. After either one or two years in CGA, choristers have to opportunity to join concert group, the top level boys' choral group. Concert group choristers perform over 30 events around the bay area and tour internationally. While, CGA is allowed to tour with concert on domestic tours, they are not allowed on international tours.
Members of the concert group, after graduating middle school, are given the opportunity to audition for the Young Men's Ensemble. The strenuous audition process includes singing a solo selection in front of a panel of directors and writing a formative letter of intent. The Young Men's Ensemble is the one of the only choral groups of its kind in the bay area, aside from the Pacific Boychoir
Continuum. The Young Mens Ensemble tours internationally along with concert group and performs a wide range of repertoire from Madrigals to Modern Compositions.This year, YME will be engaging on its own tour and sets of performances at International Golden Gate Children's Choral Festival under the direction of Associate Artistic Director Jennifer Cowgill.
In addition, a head chorister, assistant head chorister, and an assistant conductor are appointed by the Artistic Director to lead both the mentors and the choristers. This year's head chorister is Ivan Vatikani.
Ragazzi also maintains a strict policy of courtesy, various "codes," and attendance. Most strangers who encounter Ragazzi boys have complimented the choristers' politeness and maturity, qualities that are rare in many other choirs.
Domestically Ragazzi has toured Minnesota where they attended AMERICAFEST (2003), Oregon where they attended PICCFEST
(2005) as a feature choir, Montana where they attended the International Choral Festival (2006), and Arizona (2009).
Recently, in July 2009 Ragazzi's own YME toured the San Francisco East Bay, attending the Golden Gate International Children's Choral Festival, which is an independent venture managed by YME coordinators Christine McMillan and Michael Wu, and YME Head Chorister Chris McMillan. This is the first Ragazzi tour of its kind since it is not officially endorsed by the board. The group successfully won the following awards:
2nd Place—Contemporary Music
2nd Place—Youth Vocal Solo (awarded to chorister)
3rd Place—Historical Music
3rd Place—Folk Music
Camp is held at the Pacific Union College
, in Angwin
, Napa
.
At summer camp, choristers learn and sing an equivalent of 10 weeks worth of music in a matter of 10–14 days. A regular day is compromised of 3 one to two hour rehearsals and "camp" activities. Choristers also learn the choreography to their dance pieces for the coming year.
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
in the San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
and is known for winning a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Classical Album
Grammy Award for Best Classical Album
The Grammy Award for Best Classical Album was awarded from 1962 to 2011. The award had several minor name changes:*From 1962 to 1963, 1965 to 1972 and 1974 to 1976 the award was known as Album of the Year - Classical...
in 2000
Grammy Awards of 2000
The 42nd Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2000. During the show, Santana won 8 Grammys, tying Michael Jackson's record for most awards won in a single night. Santana's album Supernatural was awarded a total of nine awards....
for its participation in Perséphone with the San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
. The chorus was formed in 1987 with 6 boys, and it now includes more than 170 singers from 86 schools in 26 Bay Area communities including San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. The choir is internationally recognized and has placed highly in numerous international competitions. It also takes pride in successfully auditioning the most singers to either national or state American Choral Directors Association
American Choral Directors Association
The American Choral Directors Association , headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music...
honor choirs each year
Since its founding, Ragazzi has performed regularly with the San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
, San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
, Opera San Jose
Opera San Jose
Opera San José is the professional opera company in San Jose, California, United States, founded in 1984 by Irene Dalis. In 1988, it formed a resident company of principal artists, for which it has purchased fourteen apartment units to provide rent-free accommodation...
, West Bay Opera, Lawrence Pech
Lawrence Pech
Lawrence Pech is a dancer, choreographer and teacher currently living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the founder and co-artistic director of the .-Early years:...
Dance Company, Peninsula Symphony, Masterworks Chorale and the Stanford University Symphonic Chorus among others.
Although young in age, the group has already produced notable alumni such as Ross Morey (Director/Founder of UCLA Bruin Harmony and Composer) and Tim Duncheon, ('07-'09) Pitchpipe of the The Spizzwinks(?)
The Spizzwinks(?)
The Spizzwinks, whose name includes the parentheses and question mark, are an a cappella singing group of male students from Yale University. Founded in late 1913, the Spizzwinks are the oldest underclassman a cappella group in the United States, dating back to a first performance in early...
Choral Structure
Members of the concert group, after graduating middle school, are given the opportunity to audition for the Young Men's Ensemble. The strenuous audition process includes singing a solo selection in front of a panel of directors and writing a formative letter of intent. The Young Men's Ensemble is the one of the only choral groups of its kind in the bay area, aside from the Pacific Boychoir
Pacific Boychoir
The Pacific Boychoir is the only boys' chorus in Oakland, California, USA. The chorus was formed in 1998 with 6 boys, and it now includes more than 160 singers from ages 7 to 17...
Continuum. The Young Mens Ensemble tours internationally along with concert group and performs a wide range of repertoire from Madrigals to Modern Compositions.This year, YME will be engaging on its own tour and sets of performances at International Golden Gate Children's Choral Festival under the direction of Associate Artistic Director Jennifer Cowgill.
Choral Leadership and Discipline
Ragazzi is very well known for training young leaders. In its advanced groups, a Mentor program has been established to maintain professional rehearsals and overall choir discipline. Each boy in CGA or concert group is assigned to a mentor who keeps track of his merits or demerits in behavior, punctuality, or memory through a complex system of points and reports. The selection of prospective mentors (usually a group of senior concert group members) are made by the Artistic Director, and then the choristers vote the prospective mentors into their positions. Those that do not receive the necessary votes then become assistant mentors.In addition, a head chorister, assistant head chorister, and an assistant conductor are appointed by the Artistic Director to lead both the mentors and the choristers. This year's head chorister is Ivan Vatikani.
Ragazzi also maintains a strict policy of courtesy, various "codes," and attendance. Most strangers who encounter Ragazzi boys have complimented the choristers' politeness and maturity, qualities that are rare in many other choirs.
Tours
Ragazzi regularly tours in the United States and abroad. Ragazzi has toured internationally in Canada (1990), Russia (1992), Eastern Europe (1995), Italy (1998), Japan (1999), the British Isles (2001) where the choir won the fourth prize at the International Llangollen Eistedfodd, Spain and Portugal (2004), and Australia and New Zealand (2007). In summer 2008 Ragazzi was chosen to participate in the Kathaumixw Festival in British Columbia. They were second place finalists in two different age group categories.Domestically Ragazzi has toured Minnesota where they attended AMERICAFEST (2003), Oregon where they attended PICCFEST
PICCFEST
The Pacific International Children's Choir Festival takes place each year in Eugene, Oregon, United States, in conjunction with the long-established Oregon Bach Festival....
(2005) as a feature choir, Montana where they attended the International Choral Festival (2006), and Arizona (2009).
Recently, in July 2009 Ragazzi's own YME toured the San Francisco East Bay, attending the Golden Gate International Children's Choral Festival, which is an independent venture managed by YME coordinators Christine McMillan and Michael Wu, and YME Head Chorister Chris McMillan. This is the first Ragazzi tour of its kind since it is not officially endorsed by the board. The group successfully won the following awards:
2nd Place—Contemporary Music
2nd Place—Youth Vocal Solo (awarded to chorister)
3rd Place—Historical Music
3rd Place—Folk Music
Summer Camp
Every year around the middle of July, Concert Group, CGA, YME, and Premiere group are required to attend Ragazzi Summer Camp. (For Primary Groups, camp is not mandatory).Camp is held at the Pacific Union College
Pacific Union College
Pacific Union College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Angwin, California, United States. It is the only four-year college in Napa County, California....
, in Angwin
Angwin, California
Angwin is a census-designated place in Napa County, United States. California. It is part of the northern San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 3,051 at the 2010 census. Its area code is 707. Its two zip codes are 94508 and 94576. It is in the Pacific time zone.The town was named in 1874 for...
, Napa
Napa County, California
Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....
.
At summer camp, choristers learn and sing an equivalent of 10 weeks worth of music in a matter of 10–14 days. A regular day is compromised of 3 one to two hour rehearsals and "camp" activities. Choristers also learn the choreography to their dance pieces for the coming year.
Theory Program
Under Theory Director Carol Panofsky's leadership, Ragazzi has developed a widely acclaimed theory program based on the Explorations Theory curriculum. Keen insight and knowledge of music theory is required for all boys. In fact, for a member of CGA to be promoted to concert group, one must complete the theory program first. By the end of learning theory at Ragazzi, choristers are already well prepared for the AP Music Theory Examination.Discography
- Good News! (1996) [Live Performance]
- A Holiday Collection (1998)
- San Francisco SymphonySan Francisco SymphonyThe San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
/ Michael Tilson ThomasMichael Tilson ThomasMichael Tilson Thomas is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is currently music director of the San Francisco Symphony, and artistic director of the New World Symphony Orchestra.-Early years:...
- Igor StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
: Perséphone (2000), winner of 2000 Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry... - Canciones de Alabanza (2001)
- Magnificat My Spirit Rejoices (2006)