San Francisco Bay Area Chamber
Choir
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HomeAbout the ChoirOur ConcertsOur Members
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About the Choir
The choir was initially founded by Dr. Harry Carter, then Director of Choral Activities at California State University Hayward, now California State University East Bay. Dr. Carter led the choir until his retirement in 2003. Dr. David Stein, Professor Emeritus of Music and former Director of Choral Activities at California State University East Bay, succeeded Dr. Carter as the choir's Music Director and led SFBACC from 2003 until his retirement in 2010. The choir continues to specialize in a cappella works of masters of the past and significant modern composers. The group has also performed large-scale works with orchestra and a variety of lighter works including American folk songs and spirituals. The choir's repertoire has ranged from Renaissance and Baroque choral works to the lush Romanticism of Brahms and Bruckner, to the 20th century works of Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and Penderecki, and to works of local composers such as Kirk Mechem, Donald Aird, David Conte, and Frank La Rocca. Although its concerts are usually a cappella, the choir has performed with piano and organ and with the Oakland Symphony Orchestra. The choir usually maintains a roster of 40-45 singers. About half of the choir members are church or synagogue musicians or music educators; the rest work in fields such as medicine, accounting, teaching, and computer programming, but are also very highly skilled and dedicated musicians. Several members of the Cal State East Bay Music Faculty have been choir members over the years.
In addition to regular performances in the San Francisco Bay Area, the choir has made 12 European concert tours with performances in 18 countries including participation in 6 EUROPA CANTAT festivals and the 1992 Zimriya International Choral Festival in Jerusalem. In 1994, the choir was invited to perform at the Western Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Sacramento, California, and received rave reviews. More recently, the choir performed works by composers Frank La Rocca and Leo Nestor in Composers Inc concerts of new American music in 2004 and 2006. For the past several years, we've also participated in the City of Hayward's annual festive "Light Up the Season" event in early December to kick off the holiday season. The choir usually rehearses at Faith Lutheran Church in Castro Valley, CA on Sunday evenings from 6-9 PM. For the 2011-2012 season, we will begin rehearsing in September for Winter concerts in January, and will begin rehearsing in January for Spring concerts in May. About Anthony Pasqua, SFBACC Music Director We are pleased to announce the arrival of Anthony Pasqua as our new SFBACC Music Director! Tony takes over the reins as we enter our 2011-2012 season. From 1989-1995, Tony was Director of UC Choral Ensembles at UC Berkeley where he conducted the UC Women's Chorale, Perfect Fifth Chamber Singers, and the UC Alumni Chorus. Prior to his appointment at Cal, he was a Lecturer and Choral Director in the Department of Music at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. In addition to his academic experience, Tony has conducted the Men's Chorus of Orange County, the Golden Gate Men's Chorus, Voci Women's Choral Ensemble, and the Oakland Symphony Chorus. Under his direction, Voci, the Oakland Symphony Chorus, Perfect Fifth, and the UC Alumni Chorus appeared with several performing arts organizations in the Bay Area, including Berkeley Opera, Kitka, the Chieftains, Magnificat, the Fremont-Newark Symphony Orchestra, the Oakland Ballet, and the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Tony, a native
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the
Conservatory of About Harry Carter, SFBACC Founder
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Reach us at sfbacc@sfbaychoir.org .
The San Francisco Bay Area Chamber Choir was founded in 1978
and sings under the direction of Anthony Pasqua, who was named the choir's
new Music DIrector in May 2011. Since its origin, the choir has been highly acclaimed for its sensitive and exciting
performances of extremely varied and demanding literature. 
Dr. Harry Carter, who
founded the choir in 1978, retired as director of the choir in 2003 after 25
years of dedication and service. Dr. Carter received his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Illinois
and joined the music faculty at California State University, Hayward, shortly thereafter.
He retired several years ago as Professor of Music and Chairman of Vocal/Choral Activities after twenty-seven years of service. Dr. Carter has always had an enduring
interest in international choral activities and has organized choral directors' exchanges
with Argentina, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, and Venezuela.