Miami Children’s Chorus

Established in 1965, the award-winning Miami Children’s Chorus offers the children of Miami-Dade County the opportunity to study and perform standard and experimental forms of choral music. Through this study the children learn musicianship, vocal technique, discipline, commitment and the rewards of sustained and dedicated effort. In weekly rehearsals the children also learn that there is no greater result than giving their personal best.

The MCC has won acclaim from critics and earned national recognition as an exemplary children's choir. In the fall of 2006, MCC performed for the opening of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (former Carnival Center for the Performing Arts). In that gala week they appeared with Gloria Estefan on The Concert for Miami and on the Florida Grand Opera inaugural event in the Sanford & Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House. MCC performance credits include three appearances at Festival Miami (FL), Carnegie Hall (NY); the Cardiff Proms Summer Concert Series (Wales, UK); and bowing with the Israel Chamber Orchestra for the Concert Association of Florida. The Miami Children’s Chorus has presented concerts in Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic in addition to appearances throughout the United States. MCC can be heard singing background on recordings of Raul di Blasio, Gloria Estefan, Christian Castro and the Frost Chorale at the University of Miami. MCC has also participated in recording projects with Jon Secada and José Antonio Molina and Jim Papoulis. MCC appeared – by audition – at the 2007 American Choral Directors Association National Convention held in Miami Beach.

In South Florida, the Miami Children’s Chorus has performed on the Temple Beth Am Children’s Concert Series and with the former Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, Ars Flores Chamber Orchestra, the Youth Orchestra of Florida, the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, the South Florida Youth Symphony, Jubilate, the Civic Chorale of Greater Miami, and the Miami Bach Society. The MCC has appeared with the Florida Grand Opera in their productions of Boris Godunov, La bohème, Tosca, The Magic Flute, Carmen, Turandot, Pagliacci and Werther. Most recently appearing with the FGO in Pagliacci (2009) and Carmen (2010).

New Works for Children’s Voices is the MCC commission project. Each season composers are selected to write/arrange new works for the MCC. Composers who have written for the choir include David Brunner, Kevin Wayne Bumpers, René Clausen, Oscar Escalada, Sydney Guillaume, Stephen Hatfield, Robert Heath, Derrick James, Lee Kesselman, Greg Knauf, Edwin McLean, Francisco J. Nuñez, Nick Page, Gregg Smith, David Walker and the award-winning composer Eric Whitacre. Works commissioned by the MCC have been published by Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. and Mark Foster publishing companies. The 2006 commission, – Sir Brother Sun by David L. Brunner – was released at the 2007 National ACDA Convention held in Miami Beach. New commissions by composer Sydney Guillaume – Koudjay – and Bob Chilcott – Like A Singing Bird – were premiered in 2008. The Chilcott commission was part of a consortium of choirs (19) from around the world through Chorus America. Our latest commission, Koudjay, was given its world premier in November 2008 at The Lincoln Theatre in Miami Beach. This piece for children’s chorus and chamber orchestra – in Haitian-Creole – was written by Sydney Guillaume with the text by his father Gabriel Guillaume.

All Together Now – a series of free community sing-alongs – is a project initiated by the Miami Children’s Chorus to help Get America Singing ... Again! Begun by the MCC in October 1997 as a response to a call put out by MENC–The National Association for Music Education, this project consists of 5 sing-along presentations throughout Miami-Dade County. It’s two main objectives are to (1) Promote community singing by school age children and adults all across Miami-Dade County and (2) Promote the preservation of songs that reflect our multicultural heritage. It is in keeping with the mission of the organization and part of the MCC vision of A community where every child can experience the joy of singing.

With a commitment to excellence the MCC offers the children of Miami-Dade County a quality music education/performance program. The Miami Children’s Chorus provides the South Florida community with a children’s choir of the highest standards that is recognized for its excellence around the globe.

Timothy A. Sharp serves as Music Director of the award-winning Miami Children’s Chorus.
He conducts the Beginning Chorus and the Advanced Chorus. Mr. Sharp earned his B.A. in Music Education from Bethune-Cookman University, M.S. in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and received an Artist-Teacher Diploma from the Choral Music Experience Institute for Choral Teacher Education. Mr. Sharp teaches general music at Vineland K-8 Center in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

In 2006-2007 Mr. Sharp prepared the children of the MCC to sing for three presentations in the inaugural season of the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. MCC appeared with Gloria Estefan on the opening gala event The Concert for Miami in the Knight Concert Hall, the inaugural Arsht Center Kidsfest and with the Florida Grand Opera in their gala presentation in the Ziff Ballet Opera House. He has also prepared children to sing for Florida Grand Opera productions of Turandot, Pagliacci, Tosca, Carmen, La bohème, Werther and Boris Godunov. Most recently in Pagliacci (2009) and Carmen (2010). As a performer, he appeared with the FGO Chorus for five seasons. He has presented workshops for the Florida Elementary Music Educators Association; the Virginia Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organist • Stamford Chapter and the CME Institute for Choral Teacher Education. Mr. Sharp has prepared the children of the MCC for international tours to Argentina, Austria, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Great Britian and Italy. He has also prepared children for recording sessions with international artists; for a performance and recording session with the Frost Chorale at the University of Miami for the CD Robert Xavier Rodriguez Works for Chorus and Orchestra on Con Flor y Canto and for the Master Chorale of South Florida performances of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana.

As part of the MCC South America Project in 2006, MCC participated in a community service project with the Cidade de Deus choir at a samba school and sang in the world premier performance of Elogio a la niñez by Oscar Escalada of Argentina. He has served as guest conductor for the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent’s Annual Honors Music Festival (Miami, FL), Broward County Schools Elementary Honor Choir (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) and the Norman Public Schools All-City Fifth Grade Chorus (Norman, OK). Mr. Sharp has been awarded a MAXIE award by the New World School of the Arts in recognition of his contributions to the arts for children; named Educator of Note by the Young Patronesses of the Opera and Arts Teacher of the Year by the Children’s Cultural Coalition.

His professional memberships include the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, MENC–The National Association for Music Education, Phi Delta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi and Americans for the Arts. He is a Past President of the Miami-Dade County Music Educators Association as well as past Committee Chairperson for Children’s Choirs and Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives for the Florida Chapter of ACDA.

http://www.miamichildrenschorus.org/