Our History

 The Genesee Chorale was organized in the fall of 1971 under the direction of Dr. Theodore Ashizawa. Dr. Ashizawa led the Chorale for 20 years. Dawn Mark conducted the group for four seasons, followed by Ron Bordinaro, Marcia Housel (for dinner dances), Mark Hoerbelt from January 2000 to 2005 and then Charles Bradley for two seasons. Ric Jones has been the director since January of 2008.

The Chorale is comprised of seventy to seventy-five singers from all walks of life and draws membership from Genesee County and seven additional counties. The repertory of the Genesee Chorale encompasses a wide variety of music in various styles from motets and madrigals of the Renaissance, to folk, musicals, and jazz. Over the years, the Chorale has championed contemporary works for choir as well as larger liturgical settings including Bach's St. Matthew's Passion, Charpentier's Midnight Mass for Christmas, the Mozart and Brahms Requiems, and several masses by composers such as Schubert and Mozart. Additionally, the Chorale has performed Die Fledermaus, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Handel's Solomon, Haydn's Creation, Vivaldi's Magnificat, and Vaughan William’s Hodie.​

The Gensee Chorale prides itself on championing new choral works. In 2018, the Genesee Chorale commissioned two new works from Composer-In-Residence Daniel Baldwin.  The Waking for SATB choir and piano was premiered in May of 2018. Letchworth Suite for SATB choir and orchestra was premiered, along with the Brighton Symphony Orchestra, in December 2018.

In December 2024, the Genesee Chorale was proud to be one of the first groups to perform Taylor Scott Davis's Magnificat.

The Genesee Chorale is proud to call St. James Episcopal Church in Batavia, NY their home. For more information about St. James, please visit their website at stjamesbatavia.org.