Greetings! We are thrilled to announce that Cantare has been selected as the 2022 recipient of Chorus America's Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award! This national award, established in 2014, honors the life and achievements of educator, conductor, and arranger Brazeal Dennard. It recognizes organizations whose work builds on Dennard's commitment to diversity, inclusiveness, and furthering African American choral traditions and other diverse choral music traditions through performance, research, or the creation of new compositions of significance. Cantare remains dedicated to these ideals, pursuant with our mission, as we strive to instill pride through artistic exposure and expression for those marginalized by race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and economic status. Cantare’s long-term focus on African American culture and history as expressed through music is driven by Cantare’s Artistic Director and Founder, David Morales. Throughout Cantare’s 35-year history, he has brought an abundance of musical exposure to singers and audiences, sharing the short- and long-term impact of slavery rooted in America's history. Through performances of various African American musical genres, including spirituals, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, pop and hip-hop, and many more, we honor the creative and insightful perspectives of oppressed people in hopes of instilling justice and equity that will be displayed through compassion for all.

Cantare Con Vivo Programming Highlights of African American Music

Our music education programs from their inception have followed this same intent. We teach music to children of every grade level and from a wide range of cultural traditions with the goal of increasing awareness and understanding that lead to connectedness and respect for one another. These are defining trademarks of Cantare.  To quote David, “These objectives address the heart of what the Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award is about, particularly as it relates to African American history and culture and other ‘minority’ cultures, as well as those ostracized for various other reasons, all who also call this land ‘home.’ Success does not end with the applause following a lively spiritual or gospel selection that often serves as a concert encore. For Cantare, it culminates in advancing our vision of “Inspiring people to live in harmony, treating one other with dignity.”  In the words of a James Cleveland gospel song (alt): “We’ve come a long way; we still have a long way to go.” We are enormously honored to be recognized by our nation’s choral peers as a part of Brazeal Dennard’s legacy. Click here to read Chorus America’s full press release about all its 2022 awards for outstanding choir organizations and individuals.

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