Verdi Chorus Goes Worldwide

Since the creation of the Verdi Chorus in 1983, Anne Marie Ketchum, Music Director and Founding Artistic Director of The Verdi Chorus, created a small group of young talented vocalists called The Fox Singers, and on April 11, the young vocalists are set to perform their 38th season of "Amore della Vita."

The Verdi Chorus is located in the heart of Santa Monica and comprises opera singers of all ages. Within the chorus, a small group of young vocalists called "The Fox Singers", are set to perform for their 38th season. Opera enthusiasts will have a special opportunity to view "The Fox Singers" perform "Amore della Vita" on any virtual platform from anywhere in the world, beginning on April 11.

The Chorus started as an in-house vocal group for the Italian restaurant, Verdi Ristorante di Música in Santa Monica, Calif. When the restaurant owners, Bernard and Sheila Segal announced the closure of the restaurant in 1991, the launch of the nonprofit Verdi Chorus was born.

Illustration by Sam Plascencia | Multimedia Editor

Anne Marie Ketchum was the leader of the restaurant's chorus group at the time, having formally been the opera program director at Pasadena City College, and studied music at Santa Monica College (SMC). Ketchum and the Segals were determined to not let the Verdi Chorus die out. After the restaurant closed, the members contributed funds to keep the chorus going. The chorus continued performing at various venues including a hotel in West Hollywood, before finding a home at the Santa Monica United Methodist Church.

With her background in music, becoming the conductor of this new "Verdi Chorus" was the perfect fit for Ketchum. The Chorus has since thrived, performing annual Spring and Fall concerts with the Santa Monica United Methodist Church as their venue.

The Chorus had to postpone their in-person April 2020 performance due to COVID-19 restrictions, causing them to switch to a virtual platform. “For one thing, as beautiful as it is to be in a room with an audience, this also allows us to reach people all over the world, I mean [through] our first [virtual] concert we had people tuning in from France and Latin America and London," said Ketchum.

This season the Chorus will continue to use a virtual platform to showcase their performances which are free to the public. In addition, Ketchum created "The Artist Relief Fund" to help support the artists in the Verdi Chorus program and to fund ongoing performances. Audience members have the opportunity to donate to this fund by going to the organization's website.

The Verdi Chorus will debut the second offering of its new online performance series, "The Verdi Chorus Presents," by featuring six members of the Fox Singers in concert starting April 11, 2021. The Fox Singers are a young and diverse group of 15 vocalists that make up a smaller ensemble within the Verdi Chorus organization. The group, “gives variety in the types of sound they produce, the voices they have, and the types of personalities they have," Ketchum said.

This premier performance titled "Amore della Vita" will be a streamed concert accessible to viewers beginning at 10 a.m. PST on April 11 through April 25. There will also be an "Amore della Vita" Zoom reception available to the public at 8:30 p.m. PST on April 11.

This concert will incorporate classical Italian art songs instead of the usual opera showcase. This show follows a theme set in a previous concert where Spanish art songs were highlighted. “These songs [that will be performed] are art songs, meaning they are [each] written to be a song that stands on its own,” says Ketchum.

The Verdi Chorus is the only choral group in Southern California that focuses primarily on dramatic and diverse music for opera chorus. "We are telling a story rather than singing a prayer or commenting on nature or whatever a choral piece might be," Ketchum said. "It is a part of a story that has a beginning and an end and it progresses. So the music itself has some drama to it."

Working in collaboration with SMC’s Dr. Janelle DeStefano, a faculty member of SMC's Voice Program, Ketchum is able to offer audition opportunities to vocalists studying opera within the SMC Music Program. Ketchum says it is important to work with young vocalists because “every culture needs to have its art forms blossom and be supported, so helping young singers to get into this and be successful at it, is really important for the richness of our culture.” She feels that her life has been enriched by experiencing this art form and believes that keeping the chorus going will give a range of opportunities for young singers.

It has been almost four decades since the original Verdi Chorus was created, and Ketchum described the experience as having been “a really marvelous thing [that is] about pulling a lot of people together... and creating something that is much bigger than each individual; a beautiful piece and a work of art, but you couldn’t do it on your own, you need a whole group of people."

The Verdi Chorus has provided an opportunity for people around the world to experience the enriching art forms of opera from their homes. To view the concert and attend the premiere day Zoom reception, access The Verdi Chorus website.