The San Luis Obispo Youth Choir

under the direction of Gary Lamprecht is an award winning high school concert choir.

Five years ago, the choir was selected as the best high school concert choir in California. The following year the choir was invited to perform for the Western Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Honolulu, Hawaii. The choir received a standing ovation from the 800 choral directors in attendance.

In 2003 the San Luis Obispo High School Concert Choir was one of 10 high school choirs within the United States to be selected to sing at the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in New York. The Choir performed three times including a final performance at Lincoln Center, home of the New York Philharmonic orchestra, receiving three standing ovations and sang to a cumulative audience of 6000.

In March of 2005 the San Luis Obispo High School Concert Choir was selected from 40 applications around the United States to participate in the Carnegie Hall National High School Choral Festival, an annual event sponsored by the Isaac Stern legacy Fund. The choir presented an individual performance and then joined the other two choirs in a performance of the Durufle Requiem, conducted by Dr. Craig Jessop, director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

During their European tour 2006 the San Luis Obispo High School Concert Choir will perform in Vienna and Spittal (Austria), in Bled (Slovenja) during the Summer Music Festival and will then travel to Stuttgart (Germany) to be part of summer music festival of the Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium Orchestra (Ebelu) under the direction of Peter Bachofer. Ebelu is the San Luis Obispo High School Concert Choir's sister school. The two schools have been exchanging students since 1948.

 

R. Gary Lamprecht, Director of the San Luis Obispo Youth Choir & the San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble

The San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble was founded in Fall, 1977, under the direction of conductor Gary Lamprecht. The ensemble is a 40-50 voice community adult choir which has achieved remarkable worldwide acclaim.

Its first significant success occurred in 1982, when the group was awarded first place for the State of California in the Great American Choral Festival. The Vocal Arts Ensemble toured England, Wales, France, Belgium, and Germany in the summer of 1985. The highlight of the tour was a third place award in the international competition at the 34th Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. Concerts by the choir were aired on BBC Television and on Belgian National Radio.

In 1988, the Vocal Arts Ensemble again toured Great Britain and Scotland with performances in six great cathedrals. The highlight of this tour was a return to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and the ovation of over 5,000 listeners in the evening guest concert.

In June and July of 1991 the singers of Vocal Arts sang in ten performances for thousands of people in Russia and Poland. This tour of Eastern Europe was organized as an outreach by the American "Friendship Ambassadors" and the Chancellor to the Senate of Poland. In addition to the wonderful performances and broadcasts on Polish television, another high point was the chance to stay in the homes of the Polish people for one week.

June and July of 1995 saw the ensemble touring Central Europe ­ Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Austria. While in Austria, the VAE competed in the Spittal International Choral Festival. Out of the hundreds of auditions submitted, the finalists were narrowed to the top 11 choirs, representing 11 countries. The Vocal Arts Ensemble was selected to represent the USA, and finished 4th in the competition.

The group was again been selected to represent the United States at the Llangollen International Choral Festival in the summer of 1999. The ensemble toured Ireland, England and Wales on the way to the competition, and performed for the public at the esteemed Friday evening performance before an audience of thousands.

In the summer of 2,000, the Vocal Arts Ensemble participated in the Powell River, B.C., Canada Kathaumixw, an international choral competition and festival. The group placed second in the Folk Competition at that event.

In 2004, the group was again invited to participate in the Spittal, Austria, International Choral Festival. With 45 voices, the group placed second in the folk competition, and fifth in the traditional competition. On that tour the group also performed five concerts in northern Italy and Slovenia.

 

Cricket Handler, Assistant Director

Cricket Handler has been part of the music scene in San Luis Obispo since 1980.
She received her Master's degree in Choral Music at University of Southern California. She has sung as a cantor for both Congregation Beth David and Temple Ner Shalom, and served as Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo Symphony from 1985 until 1994 where she met her husband, Jerry Boots.

Since 1995 she has worked with Director Gary Lamprecht at San Luis Obispo High School in the Choral Music program. Under their direction, the choir was invited to perform in Carnegie Hall, and as guest performers at the American Choral Directors' Association annual convention.