NC Master Chorale is a choir of your neighbors; we’re part of your Triangle community

We are .

A CHOIR OF VOLUNTEERS

In addition to performing major choral works and other musical styles, our singers also provide high caliber choirs for performances with other professional arts organizations, such as the North Carolina Symphony.

“NCMC means community. I’ve met some of my best friends while singing in this group and I am thankful for the opportunity to continue my passion of choral singing.”
Abby Kolb

Our People

MUSIC DIRECTOR

Alfred E. Sturgis

Alfred E. Sturgis Bio

Alfred E. Sturgis is a highly sought after conductor whose versatility and extensive background allow him to journey comfortably into a wide variety of musical experiences. He currently serves as Music Director of the North Carolina Master Chorale, the Carolina Ballet and the Tar River Orchestra. Known for being a strong collaborative artist, Sturgis has also enjoyed a great deal of experience in Opera and Musical Theatre.

Sturgis has served as Guest Conductor for the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center, North Carolina Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, Carolina Chamber Orchestra, Raleigh Civic Symphony, National Opera Company, Capital Opera, Long Leaf Opera, and North Carolina Theatre. He has conducted orchestral and opera performances overseas in France, Bulgaria, and China. Early in his career he performed a number of roles in musical theatre, opera, and oratorio, in addition to touring and recording in Southern France with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers.

Under his skilled artistic leadership the Master Chorale has made appearances at state and regional conferences of the American Choral Director’s Association, recorded three Christmas CDs, and several television broadcasts on WRAL and UNC-TV. They have also been involved in numerous successful collaborations with the Carolina Ballet and the North Carolina Symphony. In recognition of his dynamic musical leadership, Sturgis was awarded the 1996 Raleigh Medal of Arts, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2023, the highest award a civilian can receive from the state of North Carolina.

ACCOMPANIST

Suzanne Polak

Suzanne Polak Bio

Suzanne U. Polak is a versatile musician with a passion for ensemble and collaborative works in both performance and composition. She is currently on adjunct faculty at Elon University and also working at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She has worked as a substitute keyboardist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, as Acting Principal with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and Virginia Symphony Orchestra; substitute with the North Carolina Symphony and the West Virginia Symphony; also with Charlotte Symphony Orchestra on both keyboard and dulcimer; and appeared with the PSO as: a soloist on Carnival of the Animals, playing organ for a performance of Richard Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra and playing the theremin for their performance of David Del Tredici’s Final Alice.

As a composer, she has fulfilled numerous music commissions, and was a recent participant at the 2021 Charlotte New Music Festival, where her work Fugue and Romance was premiered by the Beo String Quartet. She is currently residing in North Carolina, where she just completed her Doctoral Degree at the University of North Carolina- Greensboro.

YOUTH CHOIR DIRECTOR

Daniel G. Monek, Ph.D.

Daniel G. Monek Bio

Dr. Daniel Monek has been a Professor of Music at North Carolina State University in Raleigh since 2016 having served as the Head of the Department of Performing Arts & Technology (formerly Music) until 2023. He currently serves as a Fellow in faculty and academic affairs within the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost. In addition, Monek also serves every summer as a choral instructor for the NC Governor’s School program and is active as a clinician and guest conductor. Prior to coming to North Carolina, he served for sixteen years as the Director of Choral Activities and Department Chair at Marietta College in Ohio.

He received his Ph.D. in Music from Edinburgh University (Scotland) and holds degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from the University of South Florida. Monek has taught music in Florida’s public schools and was the founding Artistic and Musical Director of the New Edinburgh Orchestra in Scotland. He has served in numerous leadership positions for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). As a conductor, he combines his work in early music styles with a passionate interest in supporting new music and composers, having commissioned and premiered more than 30 choral and orchestral works.

YOUTH CHOIR ACCOMPANIST

Tom Koch

Tom Koch Bio

Tom Koch is Associate Teaching Professor of Music at North Carolina State University, where he directs the music theory program. As a collaborative pianist, Tom has performed with North Carolina Opera, Carolina Ballet, NC Master Chorale, Cary Concert Singers, and the Chapel Hill Chamber Music Workshop. He is also the keyboardist of NC State’s faculty rock band The Quadrivium Project. Tom received degrees in piano performance and music teaching from the Oberlin Conservatory and a Ph.D. in music history and theory from Rutgers University.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Christine Kastner

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OPERATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Samantha Stoudemire

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The mission of the North Carolina Master Chorale is to enrich the cultural lives of our communities through exceptional choral music.

The vision of the North Carolina Master Chorale is to be the region’s premier organization for the advancement of the choral art.

Board of Directors

Officers

Chris Anderson, President
MaryRobert McGrath, Vice President
Pam Heye, Treasurer
Winsome O’Neill, Secretary

Ex-Officio

Alfred Sturgis, Music Director
Christine Kastner, Executive Director

Members

Keith Donahue
Ryan Downey
Dan Gaugert
Anil Gehi
Peter Gross
Amber Jones
Keith Kapp
Philip Little
Evelyn McCauley

Joshua McCarthy
Maria Murray Riemann
Diogenes Ruiz
Rebekah Shamberger
Kyle Still
Sally Thomas

Our Story

The North Carolina Master Chorale is the premier semi-professional choir for our region. Our impact includes providing performance opportunities for our avocational singers, developing young singers through our youth choir, providing choral music to area choirs through our newly created lending library, providing choral support to other arts organizations, and providing high-level performances for our audiences.

The Master Chorale was founded as Raleigh Oratorio Society and their first concert performance was on April 11th, 1943. The North Carolina Master Chorale is an umbrella choral organization, meaning that it encompasses several types of choral ensembles. Our largest ensemble is our adult Symphonic Choir (170 singers), which is a volunteer choral ensemble. Our adult Chamber Choir (ranging from 16 – 60 singers) is a smaller professional choir, and our Youth Choir is a professionally directed honors choir for high school students. All of these choirs require high level auditions to be selected for participation.

The Master Chorale’s season consists of 5-6 concerts for our adult choirs and one Youth Choir performance. The Youth Choir also participates in at least two Master Chorale adult choir concerts each year in addition to their own.

Due to the high caliber of the singers and the level of preparation, in 2014 Master Chorale was named the resident choir of the North Carolina Symphony, and provides choral support for the Symphony for major choral works. We also provide the choir for Carolina Ballet performances. The North Carolina Master Chorale was awarded the Raleigh Medal of Arts and has been selected to provide choral concerts for both the North Carolina Choral Directors Association and the Southeastern US Choral Directors Conferences. In December 2006, the Master Chorale’s Joy of the Season was filmed for broadcast on UNC-TV. Ten years later, thanks to a generous gift from one of our donors, the Chorale again recorded their holiday concert, which still airs each December on UNC-TV.

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The North Carolina Master Chorale is committed to providing a welcoming environment for all peoples regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, ethnicity, national origin, and socioeconomic status.