Yale Schola History

Conductors

Timeline Conductor
2024-2025 Stefan Parkman, Interim Conductor
2013–2024 David Hill, principal conductor
Masaaki Suzuki, principal guest conductor
2009–2013 Masaaki Suzuki, principal conductor
2003–2009 Simon Carrington, principal 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, Marcus Creed and Dale Warland.

A Brief History

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 conducted by interim conductor Stefan Parkman. 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. Meet Our Conductors

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, Craig Hella Johnson, Marcus Creed 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, Hungary, France, China, South Korea, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Japan, Singapore, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, India, Spain, and Scandinavia.

Recordings and Tours

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