Yale Schola Cantorum

Yale Schola Cantorum is a chamber choir that performs sacred music from the sixteenth century to the present day in concert settings and choral services around the world. It is sponsored by Yale Institute of Sacred Music and its interim conductor is Stefan Parkman, following the retirement of David Hill in June, 2024. Masaaki Suzuki is the ensemble’s principal guest conductor. Open by audition to students from all departments and professional schools across Yale University, the choir has a special interest in historically informed performance practice, often in collaboration with instrumentalists from Juilliard415. 

Schola was founded in 2003 by Simon Carrington. In recent years, the choir has also sung under the direction of internationally renowned conductors Matthew Halls, Simon Halsey, Paul Hillier, Stephen Layton, Sir Neville Marriner, Nicholas McGegan, James O’Donnell, Stefan Parkman, Krzysztof Penderecki, Helmuth Rilling, and Dale Warland.

In addition to performing regularly in New Haven and New York, the ensemble records and tours nationally and internationally. Schola’s 2018 recording on the Hyperion label featuring Palestrina’s Missa Confitebor tibi Domine has garnered enthusiastic reviews. A live recording of Heinrich Biber’s 1693 Vesperae longiores ac breviores with Robert Mealy and Yale Collegium Musicum received international acclaim from the early music press, as have subsequent CDs of J. S. Bach’s rarely heard 1725 version of the St. John Passion and Antonio Bertali’s Missa resurrectionis. A recording on the Naxos label of Mendelssohn and Bach Magnificats was released in 2009, and recent years have seen the release of two CDs by Delos Records. More recently, Hyperion released Schola Cantorum performing a chamber version of the Brahms Requiem. Two new recordings, New England Choirworks and Schütz’s The Christmas Story, were released in 2019. On tour, Schola Cantorum has given performances in England, Germany, Hungary, France, China, South Korea, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Japan, Singapore, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, India, Spain, and Scandinavia.

2003–2009 > Simon Carrington, Founder and Conductor Emeritus

2009–2013 > Masaaki Suzuki, Principal Guest Conductor

2013–2024 > David Hill, Principal Conductor
Masaaki Suzuki, Principal Guest Conductor

The choir has also sung under the direction of internationally renowned conductors Simon Halsey, Paul Hillier, Stephen Layton, Sir Neville Marriner, Nicholas McGegan, James O’Donnell, Stefan Parkman, Krzysztof Penderecki, Helmuth Rilling, Craig Hella Johnson, and Dale Warland.

On tour, Yale Schola Cantorum has given performances in England, Germany, Hungary, France, China, South Korea, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Japan, Singapore, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, India, Spain, Scandinavia and Scotland.

Schola’s 2018 recording on the Hyperion label featuring Palestrina’s Missa Confitebor tibi Domine has garnered enthusiastic reviews. A live recording of Heinrich Biber’s 1693 Vesperae longiores ac breviores with Robert Mealy and Yale Collegium Musicum received international acclaim from the early music press, as have subsequent CDs of J. S. Bach’s rarely heard 1725 version of the St. John Passion and Antonio Bertali’s Missa resurrectionis. A recording on the Naxos label of Mendelssohn and Bach Magnificats was released in 2009, and recent years have seen the release of two CDs by Delos Records. More recently, Hyperion released Schola Cantorum performing a chamber version of the Brahms Requiem. Two new recordings, New England Choirworks and Schütz’s The Christmas Story, were released in 2019. 

You can learn more about and purchase recordings by following the links below.

1. New England Choirworks (2019) – Hyperion
2. Palestrina: Missa Confitebor tibi Domine and other works (2018) - Hyperion
3. Schütz: The Christmas Story and other works (2018) - Hyperion
4. Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem (2018) – Hyperion
5. Fauré: Requiem and other sacred music (2017) - Hyperion
6. Sing Ye Birds, A Joyous Song (2014) – Delos
7. Anniversaries and Messages (2013) – Delos
8. Mendelssohn and Bach Magnificats (2008) – Naxos
9. Bach: St. John Passion - 1725 version (2008) – Gothic
10. Souvenirs de la France Profonde (2007) – Yale Institute of Sacred Music
11. Antonio Bertali: Missa resurrectionis (2007) – Gothic
12. Heinrich Biber: Vesperae longiores ac breviores (2004)