Chorus Information & History

The Yakima Symphony Chorus was formed in the spring of 1971 by the Yakima Symphony Orchestra’s founding music director, Brooke Creswell, as the official choral ensemble of the symphony. Dr. Scott Peterson led the chorus for 38 years from 1977-2015, during which time the chorus had the opportunity to tour Europe and Asia and perform at Carnegie Hall. Justin Raffa served as chorusmaster from 2015 to 2023, fostering regional collaborations and curating choral feature programs with local resonance, such as 2019’s Annelise and Heart Mountain performances. In his first year as chorusmaster, Steven Slusher has placed an emphasis on expanding the roster of singers, and he has established a Young Artist Program to provide leadership opportunities for emerging professional singers. The chorus rehearses on Monday evenings during the YSO season and is open to all singers in the community without an audition requirement. Interested singers should contact Steven Slusher at chorusmaster@ysomusic.org or reach out to us using our CONTACT US form. Please provide your name, email address and phone number.

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This program is supported, in part, by grants from the Yakima Valley Community Foundation, from the Washington State Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, and from the Washington State Arts Commission in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Commerce.