Elgin Master Chorale announces landmark 80th anniversary season

The Elgin Master Chorale will be celebrating eight decades of bringing exceptional choral music to the Fox Valley community during its 2026—27 season.

The 80th anniversary season will feature two monumental masterworks performed in collaboration with the region’s leading orchestras.

The season opens on Sunday, Nov. 8, with Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” in partnership with the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra. One of the most recognizable works in the choral repertoire, “Carmina Burana” is renowned for its driving rhythms, powerful choruses, and dramatic exploration of fate, fortune, love, and the human experience.

The anniversary season concludes on Sunday, April 25, 2027, with Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis,” presented in collaboration with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Widely regarded as one of Beethoven’s greatest achievements, the work combines profound emotional depth with moments of extraordinary beauty and power.

“For 80 years, the Elgin Master Chorale has brought people together through the shared experience of live choral music,” said Tyler Hast, executive director of the Elgin Master Chorale. “This anniversary season honors that legacy while looking boldly toward the future. Through these collaborations with the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra and Elgin Symphony Orchestra, we celebrate not only great music but also the partnerships that strengthen our cultural community.”

Since its founding in 1947, the Elgin Master Chorale has grown into one of the region’s premier volunteer choral ensembles, engaging singers and audiences through performances that inspire, educate, and entertain.

The organization’s 80th season reflects its ongoing commitment to artistic excellence and community engagement.

Music director Andrew Lewis, who enters his 21st season with the ensemble, noted the significance of the selected repertoire.

“Carmina Burana and Missa Solemnis represent two of the most compelling works ever written for chorus and orchestra,” Lewis said. “Together, they showcase the extraordinary range of the choral art form — from raw energy and theatrical excitement to profound reflection and transcendence. They are fitting works for such an important milestone season.”

Season ticket information and additional details will be announced in the coming months.

For more information about the Elgin Master Chorale, visit elginmasterchorale.org.