Here's an episode for anyone curious about how a 55+ year old choral arts organization continues to thrive through its operational leadership. This Thanksgiving weekend we're turning our gratitude to VocalEssence Executive Director Mary Ann Aufderheide to celebrate her 20+ years helping lead the organization. So much to uncover in this episode, including her journey to VE, decades of lessons learned, insights around arts leadership, the evolution of arts management, and the challenges and joys of evolving a leadership role alongside an organization co-founder. Philip, Tim and Mary Ann discuss ..read more

We're each a product of our times and experiences. In this episode Philip retraces some historic moments to uncover insights across 80 years of choral direction, church music and artistic leadership. We discuss his favorite church organs around the world. That moment at the New York Philharmonic in June 1968 holding the score to Gunther Schuller's Concerto for Doublebass and Chamber Orchestra, while sitting between Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland. And the opportunities and challenges when shifting from performer to leader. We get Philip's perspective on the word "retirement," to wit, "I'm ..read more

23 - St Olaf ACDA Interview by Tim Brunelle ..read more

The State of Choral Music Around the World, Circa 2023. To begin the 2023 season of this podcast we journey around the globe to gain an understanding of choirs, audiences, repetoire and innovation in choral music. Philip surveyed his network to gain perspective from choral leaders, including: • Simon Halsey, Chorus Director – City of Birmingham (England) Symphony Chorus • Jorge Cordoba, radio program: Horizontes de Nuestra Música (Mexico) • Reijo Kekkonen, publisher of Finnish choral music - Sulasol  • Jonathan Velasco, Senior Lecturer, University of Philippines College of Music ..read more

Philip dives into the work involved in planning not one, but two seasons: His 54th as Organist and Choir Master at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis, and the 54th season of VocalEssence. As Philip notes, "People love challenges in choral music" and both seasons deliver. We discuss the business of being a music director in these two seasons, and the efforts required to get them ready for launch. Then we talk through details behind the six major concerts in VE's 54th year ..read more

Episode 18 welcomes 5-time Grammy winning drummer and composer Stewart Copeland to unravel his latest composition, the oratorio Satan's Fall. In this episode, brother Chris steps in for Tim as Philip and Stewart discuss the intricacies of the source text, Milton's epic Paradise Lost. As for composing, "The most important thing in any piece of music is rhythm," says Philip. "That's it. It starts with rhythm. I always say (to a choir), 'You've got just three things to deal with... you've got rhythm, notes, and words... and you learn them in that order.'" The trio discuss the commissioning proces ..read more

Episode 17 covers the expanse of inspiration and insights leading to VocalEssence's 2021-2022 season. Philip talks about researching and programming a diverse mix of choral music—from Astor Piazzolla to Gabriel Kahane to The Aeolians to Jose Nünez to Stewart Copeland of The Police. "There's so much great choral music of the past and present," notes Philip, gesturing to the tens of thousands of scores surrounding his office. In this episode we also learn what constitutes a "fantastic" composition for singers, that Philip manages to "inbox zero," and the secret history linking Stewart Copeland t ..read more

An apt title for this episode might be How a Choral Director Works Through a Pandemic (and Other Adversities). In facing the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, Philip recalls, "my reaction was—become creative. What are the opportunities to share music in a new way, in a new dimension?" That's our main focus in this episode, on the ways in which a choral director pivots in the face of a situation that literally threatens choral music. There was a lot to learn, and a lot that's now changed. Philip remarks, "We know there's no going back. we can be in a space, we can sing... but there's an audi ..read more

And we’re back! We return to the topic of Improvisation—this time focusing on improv in the realm of Opera. (See episode 11 for Improv, Part One.) You might not consider Opera a venue for improvisation but the practice goes back to the Baroque era and the practice of ornamentation. Philip discusses this, and more, in a conversation including singer and long-time operatic improv partner Vern Sutton. The two first met at the University of Minnesota in the 1960s. They take us on a journey to Minnesota Opera in the 1970s and its fully improvised performances of The Newest Opera in the World, direc ..read more

In this episode, Philip walks us through his methodology for preparing a Christmas music season — starting with his first at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis in 1968. We discuss programming, rehearsing, and then focus on the topic of carols. Philip talks about the history, structure and nuances of effective Christmas carols. We end with a review of the winners in this 20th year of VocalEssence's holiday carol contest ..read more