The international media focused its attention April 16, 1995 on the world premiere of 'Requiem of Reconciliation' in Stuttgart, Germany, a 100 minute work written by 14 of the greatest composers of our time, from those parts of the world who were involved in WWII. It was performed by the Gachinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Krakauer Kammerchor, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Helmuth Rilling conducting. The piece was commissioned by the Bachakademie in Stuttgart. THE COLORADO CHOIR, THROUGH CURATORS OF THIS WORK IN STUTTGART, HAS SECURED THE AMERICAN PREMIERE FOR THE CHOIR AND THE STATE OF COLORADO!!

The Colorado Choir would like to make this masterpiece a principal cultural offering to Colorado and the United States. The work is difficult and as such has only been performed in Israel and Germany, the world premiere, with partial performances in Australia and Japan. The Colorado Choir performed portions of this work in 1998 and 1999 (Phases I & II),and plans to perform 7-9 movements of the work with chamber orchestra as an inaugural event for the new University of Colorado-Denver concert hall/theater complex, 2001. The ultimate goal: the American premiere of all 14 movements with large orchestra in a major Denver performing arts facility by 2003. Fundraising is continuing to complete this ambitious project.

The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation recently awarded the choir $30,000 grant toward this premiere in 2001; they also awarded $26,250 for new uniforms for the choir. The Colorado Council on the Arts and SCFD have contributed to this important project as have IBM, the Fenner Foundation and various other interested businesses and individuals.

The Colorado Choir is adding this project to its current plans of performance and production of CDs which provide national and international music schools and conservatories as well as the general public, with a body of choral work representing a high standard of excellence.

The Colorado Choir has a solid background in performance of the most difficult contemporary literature. Therefore, it is one of the few choirs in the world that can tackle this work and find the soul of the music.

The Colorado Choir members believe that this artistic project will contribute to building community through the arts as it deals with those emotions surrounding the Holocaust. A requiem is a larger composition written for the living community in memory of the dead. The work, text sensitive and principally in Latin, brings forth a strong global statement to collectively remember all of the victims of WWII. It is set forth through the brilliant musical movements of collaborating composers (see Composer Resumes, following this section) from Italy, Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia, U.S.A., Norway, England, France, Poland, Russia, Japan, and Romania. The outreach into Colorado's cultural communities for input and support will be a principle ongoing effort of this project. The choir believes that the performances will garnish support and attendance from a diverse group, not only from all over Colorado, but from across the U.S. and abroad.

The work itself is brilliant and profound. While the term "contemporary" creates some discomfort in the general public, this requiem utilizes the dissonances early in the work depicting the struggle of humanity, and specifically as the escalating trial of the Jewish people in WWII. The work, while very difficult, is easy to listen to, as it is masterfully written. An insightful performance of this particular work by the Colorado Choir has already and will continue to expand appreciation of contemporary music within the general public.

A most important aspect of this project will be the social statement that surrounds the work, attitude, and performance of the Colorado Choir, its individual members, and its conductor, underpinning their collective concern for tolerance and justice. Also, the Colorado Choir seeks to increase its audience base and further, through its influence, the audience base for all choral groups in the region and in the outlying districts of Colorado.

By the end of the first two years of this project, the choir has learned and performed a significant portion of the 'Requiem' and has rented the music, which was costly and difficult to acquire, as each movement is published separately in the country of origin of each composer. The choir has also planned in more detail the premiere, has secured, and is still in the process of securing, financial and artistic support for the project. In addition, our conductor has met with one of the composers and plans to confer with most or all of the composers and conductor Helmuth Rilling to further understand each movement and the work as a whole.

This endeavor is an extraordinary and worthwhile one in and of itself, an endeavor which will also give immense exposure to the choir and create a global interest for the group's CD market and performance opportunities. The Colorado Choir's work has been extensive, adding significantly to the cultural life of Colorado. With the time and talent of its members, the artistic reach of the Choir can be internationally expanded.

The Colorado Choir is a fiscally stable major performing group, having successfully completed 24 seasons averaging 100 singers. The Board of Directors is elected by the choir membership and the project is well within the choirÌs capabilities as evidenced by past performances. This project is a worthwhile one and demands additional financial participation and community involvement. The Colorado Choir hopes you will continue to support their work through your involvement in this exciting project. The concern that is represented here is universal and as such the Colorado Choir is committed to present this opportunity to the people of Colorado, to support this endeavor and to participate in these performances. It should be offered on a broad basis to the people of Colorado to offer an opportunity to hear and experience the human concerns that fourteen great composers set forth in the 'Requiem of Reconciliation'.