The Symphony and its Chorus provides us with a rich history, Canon, and tradition. It also provides us a powerful medium for living composers, and aspiring musicians.
I’m excited to share this conversation featuring the extraordinary Anthony Blake Clark—of the Dallas Symphony Chorus and Baltimore Choral Arts, who wants us to consider the Symphony Chorus as a vital part of the choral music ecosystem. In this thought-provoking conversation, we explore Blake’s approach to large ensemble rehearsal, his vision for the future of choral music, and the role symphony choruses can play in shaping lifelong music-making.
Blake’s Journey
From a small farming community in Texas to leading renowned ensembles like the Dallas Symphony Chorus, Anthony shares how his love for choral music grew during his time at Baylor University and how his studies with Simon Halsey in the UK deepened his passion for combining choral and orchestral traditions. Along the way, he’s held leadership roles with Baltimore Choral Arts, Bach Vespers in New York, and now the Dallas Symphony Chorus.
Key Topics We Discuss:
- The Unique Role of Symphony Choruses: We discuss how the perception of choral music in the U.S.—as something for children, the elderly, or limited to university choirs—has hurt our choral culture.
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Anthony Blake Clark is a leading voice among his generation of choral conductors. He is in demand by both amateur and professional choral artists because of his “readily apparent musicality” (Baltimore Sun) and his conviction that lives can be changed by participating in classical music, whether on the stage or in the audience.
Clark has performed with some of the most important ensembles in legendary venues throughout the USA and Europe. He has prepared choral ensembles for prestigious orchestras such as the Rundfunkchor Berlin with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Radio Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Richmond Symphony Orchestra for esteemed conductors such as Marin Alsop, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Fabio Luisi, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, and Simon Halsey. He and his choirs have performed at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Konzerthaus, Symphony Hall Birmingham (UK), St. Martin-in-the-Fields London, The Kennedy Center, and the Washington National Cathedral, among others.
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Maestro Clark was recently named the Jean D. Wilson Chair Chorus Director for the Dallas Symphony. After preparing three critically praised programs for the Dallas Symphony Chorus in 2022 and 2023, Music Director Fabio Luisi appointed Clark as Chorus Director beginning in the 2023-2024 season. As Chorus Director, Clark prepares the 200-voice ensemble for classical and pops programs. Highlights this season include Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem and Schmidt’s Das Buch mit Sieben Siegeln. The Dallas Symphony Chorus under Clark’s preparation can be seen on Medici TV (Orff’s Carmina Burana and Catulli Carmina) and DSO’s “Next Stage” streaming platform (Beethoven’s 9th Symphony).
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At Baltimore Choral Arts, Anthony Blake Clark has served as Music Director since 2017. Clark has expanded subscription concert offerings while building a robust community outreach and education initiative. He has consistently received glowing reviews, both for work on the podium and as chorusmaster for performances with the Baltimore Symphony and other area partners. His work with BCAS has been recognized with an American Prize in Choral Conducting and a second nomination for best community ensemble, as well as the Chorus America/ASCAP Alice Parker Award. He annually conducts and produces the celebrated “Christmas with Choral Arts” television concert, first on ABC2 and now on Maryland PBS station MPT, for which the ensemble has received three regional Emmyâ nominations. Clark has secured invites to several important festivals and collaborations; after a sold-out and enthusiastically received UK tour, BCAS was in residence with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus for performances of Mahler’s 8th Symphony. Recently, Clark and Baltimore Choral Arts made their Berlin Philharmonie debut with the Freie Universität Orchester. On the same tour, BCAS collaborated with the Vienna Singakademie to perform with the Vienna Radio Orchestra under Marin Alsop.
Anthony Blake Clark also served as Artistic Director of Bach Vespers in New York City. In residence at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in mid-town Manhattan, the Bach Choir and Players are composed of some of the finest early music professionals in the nation, presenting works of Bach using historically informed practices within the liturgical context of a Vespers service. He has also served as the James Erb Choral Chair Director of Choruses for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra.
Anthony Blake Clark is equally adept in the orchestral field, making his Baltimore Symphony debut in 2021 and made his Richmond Symphony debut in 2022. He has also appeared as cover conductor for the National Symphony Orchestra, assisting conductors such as Ton Koopman, Gianandrea Noseda, Teddy Abrams, Christoph Eshenbach, and Manfred Honeck, and has assisted Marin Alsop at the Baltimore Symphony.
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Clark is a passionate teacher and served as Director of Choral Activities at The George Washington University in DC. His university choirs performed at the Kennedy Center and National Cathedral and sang with the Washington Chorus, Baltimore Choral Arts, Naval Academy Glee Club, and the Baltimore and Annapolis Symphonies. Recently he was Guest Conductor/Lecturer for the Westminster Choir College Symphonic Choir. He regularly leads workshops and clinics for school and community ensembles.
Legacy and mentorship are paramount to Clark’s musical philosophy; he is a mentee of Marin Alsop, having worked with her extensively and studied with her at the Peabody Institute in the doctoral conducting program. Mr. Clark completed a master’s degree under three-time Grammy Award winner Simon Halsey CBE at the United Kingdom’s University of Birmingham and considers Halsey his lifelong mentor. During his time in the UK, he embedded himself in the choral life of the UK and sang under the batons of Sir Simon Rattle, Edward Gardiner, and Andris Nelsons, and had opportunities to conduct the London Symphony Chorus and the CBSO Chorus. Other teachers include Simon Carrington (Yale Norfolk Festival, Sarteano Workshop) and Lynne Gackle (Baylor University).
An active composer and arranger, Anthony Blake Clark’s music has been performed in Washington DC, London, Oxford, Texas, and at Prague’s Dvorák Museum Concert Hall. In 2022 his new performance edition of Mozart’s Requiem was recorded by Acis Records.
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