Key Chorale

1900 Main St
Ste 211
Sarasota, FL 34236
Artistic Director & Maestro Joseph Caulkins - For the past 10 seasons as Artistic Director, Joseph Caulkins has consistently delivered innovative concert experiences through adventurous programming, unique collaborations and performances of new and rarely heard works.

He has taken audiences to unexpected places including: the world premiere of The Lake Isle by Ola Gjeilo; a dramatic performance of Richard Einhorn’s dynamic oratorio, Voices of Light, written to accompany Carl Dreyer’s 1928 silent film classic “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” a collaboration with the Sarasota Opera and the Sarasota Film Society; an innovative program titled Mozart Meets Radiohead with edgy string quintet Sybarite5; the US premiere of James Whitbourn’s Annelies, a setting of the Diary of Anne Frank, which the Herald-Tribune called a “Triumph;” and the highly acclaimed Cirque des Voix™, an innovative concert experience with The Circus Arts Conservatory, Sarasota.
Artistic Director & Maestro Joseph Caulkins - For the past 10 seasons as Artistic Director, Joseph Caulkins has consistently delivered innovative concert experiences through adventurous programming, unique collaborations and performances of new and rarely heard works. He has taken audiences to unexpected places including: the world premiere of The Lake Isle by Ola Gjeilo; a dramatic performance of Richard Einhorn’s dynamic oratorio, Voices of Light, written to accompany Carl Dreyer’s 1928 silent film classic “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” a collaboration with the Sarasota Opera and the Sarasota Film Society; an innovative program titled Mozart Meets Radiohead with edgy string quintet Sybarite5; the US premiere of James Whitbourn’s Annelies, a setting of the Diary of Anne Frank, which the Herald-Tribune called a “Triumph;” and the highly acclaimed Cirque des Voix™, an innovative concert experience with The Circus Arts Conservatory, Sarasota.
Key Chorale Holiday Concert 2106 - Messe de Minuit Pour Noël by Marc-Antoine Charpentier

Marc-Antoine Charpentier was the most important composer of his generation during the reign of Louis XIV. His affinity for French noëls is showcased in his delightful Messe de Minuit pour Noël (Midnight Mass for Christmas). The Midnight Mass for Christmas, composed in 1694, is an excellent example of 17th century musical craftsmanship, while remaining highly accessible.  One of eleven masses scored for voice and orchestra, this work is set for four voices, two flutes, strings, organ and continuo.  It is written in choral anthem style, primarily homophonic, with several sections of imitative polyphony, and is through composed in nature. Charpentier composed more than 550 works of spellbinding craftsmanship, beauty and drama, which laid completely forgotten until a historical revival in the 1980s. Virtually none of his music was published during his lifetime due to his rival Jean-Baptise Lully who’s stranglehold on Parisian music, including a Lully’s monopoly on staged musical dramas, left the more skilled composer in his shadow. Now, 300 years later, his place in French history is be rewritten.
Key Chorale Holiday Concert 2106 - Messe de Minuit Pour Noël by Marc-Antoine Charpentier Marc-Antoine Charpentier was the most important composer of his generation during the reign of Louis XIV. His affinity for French noëls is showcased in his delightful Messe de Minuit pour Noël (Midnight Mass for Christmas). The Midnight Mass for Christmas, composed in 1694, is an excellent example of 17th century musical craftsmanship, while remaining highly accessible. One of eleven masses scored for voice and orchestra, this work is set for four voices, two flutes, strings, organ and continuo. It is written in choral anthem style, primarily homophonic, with several sections of imitative polyphony, and is through composed in nature. Charpentier composed more than 550 works of spellbinding craftsmanship, beauty and drama, which laid completely forgotten until a historical revival in the 1980s. Virtually none of his music was published during his lifetime due to his rival Jean-Baptise Lully who’s stranglehold on Parisian music, including a Lully’s monopoly on staged musical dramas, left the more skilled composer in his shadow. Now, 300 years later, his place in French history is be rewritten.
Chamber Singers Concert at Selby Library - All of Key Chorale’s singers are accepted into the chorale through an audition process and Chamber Singers are selected through a second audition.
Chamber Singers Concert at Selby Library - All of Key Chorale’s singers are accepted into the chorale through an audition process and Chamber Singers are selected through a second audition.
Key Chorale 2016 Sarasota Choral Festival Concert - The culmination of the Sarasota Choral Festival will present Alexander’s Feast, an ode with music by George Frederic Handel set to a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton. A celebratory banquet is the scene after Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia. Alexander, with his mistress Thaïs at his side, is charmed by the musician Timotheus, who by the sheer power of music arouses a wide range of emotions from charmed to intoxicated, saddened and love-sick to rage and fury. Fortunately, St Cecilia, the patron saint of music, is on hand at the end to set it all straight.
Key Chorale 2016 Sarasota Choral Festival Concert - The culmination of the Sarasota Choral Festival will present Alexander’s Feast, an ode with music by George Frederic Handel set to a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton. A celebratory banquet is the scene after Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia. Alexander, with his mistress Thaïs at his side, is charmed by the musician Timotheus, who by the sheer power of music arouses a wide range of emotions from charmed to intoxicated, saddened and love-sick to rage and fury. Fortunately, St Cecilia, the patron saint of music, is on hand at the end to set it all straight.
Key Chorale's Misatango - Misatango concert featuring The Sarasota Ballet's Studio Company
Key Chorale's Misatango - Misatango concert featuring The Sarasota Ballet's Studio Company
Key Chorale's American Roots:Digging Deeper - American Roots: Digging Deeper
Key Chorale's American Roots:Digging Deeper - American Roots: Digging Deeper
Cirque des Voix
Cirque des Voix
Key Chorale Chamber Singers - American Roots 2018
Key Chorale Chamber Singers - American Roots 2018
Key Chorale Choral Festival - Sarasota Choral Festival 2018
Key Chorale Choral Festival - Sarasota Choral Festival 2018

Key Chorale, the Suncoast’s premier symphonic chorus, is dedicated to transforming lives through innovative programming, artistic excellence, educational outreach and service to the community. Key Chorale, led by Joseph Caulkins, produces high quality collaborative musical events that engage and enrich our community. Dynamic collaborations abound as they take you to unexpected places exploring almost every corner of choral music in unique one-of-a-kind concert experiences. Through the collaborations with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, The Sarasota Ballet, The Venice Symphony, and The Circus Arts Conservatory, Key Chorale is able to create unforgettable programs that continue to push the boundaries of choral music.  

  • Facility Amenities
    • Accessible
    • Discounts Available
    • Family-Friendly
  • Sports Facilities Facility Details
    • Sub Region -
      • Downtown Sarasota