Western Illinois University is hosting a group of choral professionals this week, with public performances scheduled in Macomb and Chicago.

withonevoice, a new, non-profit professional vocal ensemble of 16 singers based in Chicago, IL, began a week-long residency program at the WIU-Macomb campus on Sunday. The ensemble will include professional musicians and teachers from Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Arizona with a vision to provide performances, educational experiences and workshops that promote vocal versatility and exploration.

“We are thrilled to be back in Macomb for our second season. The Macomb and WIU communities continue to be very welcoming to our artists and supportive of our mission. With this support we look forward to continuing our free arts program here each year,” said Brian J. Winnie, director of choral studies at WIU and artistic director and founder of withonevoice.

The ensemble will present its summer season concert, “Meet Me There,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18 in the COFAC Recital Hall on campus and again at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 19 at the St. James Cathedral in downtown Chicago. These performances will feature multiple world premieres by Illinois composers Marybeth Kurnat and Ryan Korell, Canadian composer, Katerina Gimon, and Louisiana composer, Shawn Kirchner. The program will feature traditional classical sounds and belted voice qualities.

Each concert features multiple voice qualities with particular attention to cultivating commissioned works that represent a diversity of composers and styles of music. withonevoice strongly believes in “access to the arts for all” and leads educational workshops across the US to help everyone find their voice.

The performances are free with RSVP Ticket reservations and a suggested donation. You can reserve your tickets today at wovoice.org/concerts/tickets.

To learn more about the ensemble or to donate to the non-profit, visit wovoice.org, or contact Winnie via email at artisticdirector@wovoice.org.

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Sean Leary is an author, director, artist, musician, producer and entrepreneur who has been writing professionally since debuting at age 11 in the pages of the Comics Buyers Guide. An honors graduate of the University of Southern California masters program, he has written over 50 books including the best-sellers The Arimathean, Every Number is Lucky to Someone and We Are All Characters.