Mission Statement:
The Long Beach Camerata Singers is dedicated to excellence in choral music. We enrich the lives of our community and performers through a broad spectrum of repertoire, innovative programming, and arts education.
Robert Istad
Artistic Director
Jaclyn Johnson
Assistant Director
Na-Young Moon
Accompanist
Our History:
The Long Beach Camerata Singers was founded in 1967 by Frank Allen as the Vocal Arts Ensemble, and served as the resident chorus for the Long Beach Bach Festival, which he founded in 1973. In 1983 Dr David Wilson, a choral professor at USC became artistic director, expanding the Camerata Singers’ repertoire and changing its name. In 2005 Dr Jonathan Talberg was appointed artistic director. Dr Talberg led the Camerata Singers on a European tour, created a core of professional singers, and expanded repertoire and programming to provide more diverse performances. In Summer 2009, after Dr. Talberg resigned to accept another position, the choir hired Dr. Robert Istad, Director of Choral Studies at CSU Fullerton and Assistant Director of the Pacific Chorale, as its new Artistic Director. In 2010-2011, his first fully programmed season with Camerata, Dr. Istad has expanded the auditioned ensemble to 65 voices, further professionalized its singers, and introduced innovative repertoire and collaborations with outstanding local artists and ensembles. Dr. Istad is actively leading a renewed strategic planning process.
The 65-voice ensemble produces the annual Long Beach Bach Festival, currently in its 38th season. The ensemble also performs a fall concert, a holiday performance of the Messiah , and a spring concert of lighter music. Repertoire encompasses a wide range of works from the Renaissance to the present, and includes many contemporary choral works. The annual performance of Handel’s Messiah, now in its fourth year, is the only professional Long Beach offering of this great classic. Dr. Istad has also incorporated innovative programming in jazz, blues and contemporary music into the repertoire.
And the chorus! They had plenty of sound for the opening "O fortuna," crisp diction in the fast stuff and gave a beautifully shaded performance throughout.–Jim Ruggirello, Grunion Gazette
The Camerata have grown and improved greatly under Istad’s direction, and they sounded completely in control. The blend was good, diction was good, sections sounded firm and flexible (the tenors especially much improved), and the overall sound was lovely.–Gazettes.com