The Philadelphia Singers, Michael Korn - Handel: Roman Vespers (1986)

The Philadelphia Singers was the mid-Atlantic region's premier chorus for over forty years, garnering national acclaim for artistic excellence. Since 1972, the Singers consistently provided the Philadelphia community with the highest-quality performances in the choral arts and partnered with many of the most renowned musical institutions in the region.
Founded by Curtis Institute of Music graduate Michael Korn, The Philadelphia Singers began as a 32-voice chamber ensemble that performed an extensive repertoire that ranged from Renaissance-era to contemporary works in an annual concert series. The group disbanded at the end of the 2014-15 Season.
During the 1980s, the Philadelphia Singers quickly rose to prominence and received wide-ranging artistic acclaim, allowing the group to present the Philadelphia premieres of works by Poulenc and Gershwin and world premieres of Romeo Cascarino's William Penn and Vincent Persichetti's Flower Songs. That decade saw The Singers begin a recording relationship with RCA Red Seal/Sony Masterworks, with whom they collaborated on several recordings, including: Handel: Roman Vespers, Gloria! Gloria!, and Ceremony of Carols: Works by Britten, Poulenc, and Respighi, featuring soprano Benita Valente.
In 1991, The Philadelphia Singers continued its expansion through the establishment of The Philadelphia Singers Chorale, a symphonic ensemble which draws from a pool of over 150 talented volunteers as well as a core of professional singers. The following year, esteemed conductor David Hayes succeeded Michael Korn as Artistic Director of the Singers, guiding the ensemble to even greater achievements. Under the baton of Maestro Hayes, The Philadelphia Singers continued to premiere new works, including world premieres and commissions of works by David Shapiro, Robert Capanna, Thomas Whitman, and Jennifer Higdon, among others.
The Chorale has served as the Resident Chorus of the Philadelphia Orchestra, performed with the Pennsylvania Ballet and the New York Philharmonic, and graced the stage of Carnegie Hall.