Phoenix Symphony Chorus

“The Phoenix Symphony Chorus was outstanding—robust and riveting.” – Herbert Paine, BWW Reviews

“The Phoenix Symphony Chorus… displays an excellent sense of sustained lines with cohesive power and precision.” – Christian Dalzon, ConcertoNet.com

“The chorus, especially, has become in recent years one of the gems of Phoenix’s cultural scene. It is a great chorus.” – Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic

About the Chorus

The Phoenix Symphony Chorus was founded in 2001 as the resident performing partner of Arizona’s only full-time orchestra. The Chorus is comprised of 120 skilled volunteer members from all walks of life, chosen through a competitive audition process. The Chorus rehearses weekly throughout the performance season, and its members collectively donate more than 12,000 hours of service to music and The Phoenix Symphony each year. 

The Symphony Chorus joins the Symphony for numerous concerts each season with performances ranging from audience favorites such as Orff’s Carmina Burana and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 to exciting works rarely performed in the U.S. such as Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Estevez’ Cantata Criolla, and Kodaly’s Psalmus Hungaricus. The Chorus also regularly participates in the Symphony’s pops series as well, helping bring to life music from Broadway, Hollywood, and video games. Annual highlights for the Chorus include the Symphony’s Holiday Pops concert and Handel’s Messiah. The Chorus has twice performed with the Symphony in concert with Andrea Bocelli.

The Chorus also has given its own concerts at Carnegie Hall, where it premiered Dan Forrest’s Psalm of Ascension, and as far away as Vienna and Salzburg, Austria. Solo performances by the Chorus, conducted by the Chorus Master, have become a local highlight of the Phoenix Symphony season.

The Phoenix Symphony Chorus has been led by Chorus Master Dr. Thomas Bookhout since 2012, and is joined in rehearsals by Lawrence Loeber, a regular pianist for The Phoenix Symphony.