Preparatory Chorus Portrait for the 2023-2024 Season
Children's Chorus Portrait for the 2023-2024 Season
Preparatory Chorus Portrait for the 2023-2024 Season
The Cleveland Orchestra Children's Preparatory Chorus
The Preparatory Chorus was formed in 2005 by Dr. Ann Usher. This training choir focuses on establishing a foundation of vocal technique, musical literacy, and musicianship through quality children's choir literature. By developing musical skills and performing in public, the children acquire poise, increase self-esteem, and establish a solid foundation in vocal production techniques. The Preparatory Chorus is open to singers in grades 4 through 6 via registration. ​​
Members of the Preparatory Chorus will strengthen their vocal production and choral performance skills and learn sight-reading using movable “do” solfège and Kodály/Curwen hand signs. Students will also develop leadership skills that will help them strengthen the other choirs in which they participate. A strong majority of Children's Chorus members spend at least one year in the Preparatory Chorus prior to acceptance into the COCC, and Preparatory Chorus members are given first invitation to audition for the Children's Chorus in the spring.
The Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus
The Children’s Chorus was formed in 1967 to provide a high-quality choral group for the many orchestral works written for children’s voices, and to offer choral training to school children in the Cleveland area. Today, the Children’s Chorus regularly performs with The Cleveland Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus at Severance Music Center, including the annual Holiday concerts at Severance. Recent seasons have also seen performances with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, the Akron Symphony Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus. The Children's Chorus is open to singers in grades 6 through 8 via audition & application.
Over the decades, the extensive performance history has included such major works as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Britten’s War Requiem, Berlioz’s Te Deum, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Berlioz’s Damnation of Faust, Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, and John Adams' El Niño.
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EXPLORE OUR OTHER CHORUSES
ABOUT OUR STAFF
Jennifer Rozsa
Director, Children's Choruses
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Jennifer Rozsa joined the choral staff in Summer of 2021. She prepares the Children's Preparatory Chorus and assists the director of Children's Choruses to ensure that the Children's Choruses' program offers a high quality choral experience to its members.
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Jennifer Rozsa earned her master's and bachelor's degrees in music education with an emphasis in the Kodály Philosophy from Capital University's Conservatory of Music in Columbus, Ohio, and her Orff-Shulwerk certification from the San Francisco Orff Course. She currently teaches K-4 general music in Solon. Previously, Jennifer taught K-8 general music and choir in public, private, and charter schools in Ohio, California, and Chicago. While living in the Bay Area. she conducted training choruses for the Peninsula Girls Chorus and San Francisco Boys Chorus. Jennifer has presented general music sessions at OMEA and at the Greater Cleveland Orff Chapter workshops. When not teaching, Jennifer performs as a mezzo-soprano, sings with choirs, and enjoys dancing, biking, and being with her husband, 2 daughters, and dog.
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Jacob Young
Assistant Director, Children's Choruses
Jacob Young is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Akron. Previously, Jacob taught vocal music, music theory, aural skills, and music appreciation courses in Ohio and Kentucky for 12 years including at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, OH. He enjoys working with developing singers to find their individual voices while promoting music literacy and musicianship in the choral rehearsal.
Jacob holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting, from Ohio University and is an active member of OMEA and ACDA. Outside of music, he likes spending time with his wife and four children, supporting their music and dance events, and coaching their baseball and softball teams
Angel Tyler
Manager, Children's Choruses
Angel Tyler joined The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus Department in the Summer of 2023. Ms. Tyler graduated from SUNY Oswego with a Bachelors of Arts in Music with a Vocal Performance concentration in 2021. While at Oswego, Angel sang with Oswego Opera Theater and was involved with the Oswego State Singers & Festival Chorus. Angel is a Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus (COYC) alum and is happy to return to the Cleveland area to support this amazing choral program and office.
Angel previously worked as a Residential Life Coordinator at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio for almost two years. While in Delaware, Angel sang with the Central Ohio Symphony as a featured soprano soloist for various concerts, including their annual holiday concerts. When not singing, Angel enjoys watching & reading anything sci-fi and fantasy related and chilling on the couch with her little dachshund named Wiley.