Unlike choruses that take a long time to grow and thrive, the Young Women’s Choral Projects of San Francisco is doing well, getting ready to celebrate its third birthday. Susan McMane, former director of the S.F. Girls Chorus, is founder and director of the group, which will have its third annual gala on Oct. 25, at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Francisco. The special guest is mezzo Frederica von Stade.
Choral Projects consists of three ensembles whose members range in age from 7 to 18, representing the socio-economic diversity of the Bay Area. Singers rehearse twice weekly, and the advanced Young Women’s Chorus presents a six-concert season in the Bay Area, and annually tours nationally or internationally.
With a repertoire that spans early music to contemporary compositions, YWCP has already been successful in Italy, on the S.F. Opera stage, and with the Kronos Quartet, whose founder David Harrington said “this is an incredible group of young musicians whose passion, and commitment to excellence are so clearly at the heart of every note they sing.”