The Greater Washington DC Area Choral Excellence (“Ovation”) Awards
The Greater Washington D.C. Area Choral Excellence ("Ovation") Awards were created in 2009 by The Choralis Foundation to recognize and celebrate the rich choral artistry that exists in the national capital area. The program has become a cherished annual event that provides a rare forum for choral directors, choristers and choral patrons to gather, socialize and honor outstanding achievements by their fellow musicians
The inaugural event in May of 2010, for which Michael Kaiser, former president of the Kennedy Center and founder of the Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute, served as Honorary Chair, presented a single award for "Outstanding Contributions to Choral Music" to Maestro J. Reilly Lewis, founder and Artistic Director of the Washington Bach Consort and a long-serving music director of The Cathedral Choral Society. After Reilly's untimely passing in 2016, the main award was re-named in his memory as The J. Reilly Lewis Award for Outstanding Contributions to Choral Music.
In 2019, The Ovation Awards program was incorporated into an annual Gala sponsored by The Choralis Foundation. Each fall, a panel of former awardees led by Maestra Gretchen Kuhrmann proposes categories for the following spring event; nominations are solicited from choral directors in the greater Washington DC area. The panel of judges narrow the nominees to three per category. The full list of choral directors receives In January or February a ballot to vote on winners in each category, who are announced the evening of the Choralis Gala.
For more information please contact Claudia Dulmage at claudia.choralis@gmail.com.
Ovation Awards
After the inaugural presentation, the Ovation Awards expanded to honor choral excellence in several areas. Categories that we have recognized in past years include:
Most Creative Programming
Best New Choral Director
Best Choral Philanthropy
Best Educational Outreach
Best Municipal Chorus
Best Chamber Chorus
Best Gospel Chorus
Exemplary Community Outreach
Best Specialty or Show Chorus
Best Early Music Group
Best A Cappella Ensemble
Best New Recording
Best Symphonic Chorus
Outstanding Community Service
Proactive Community Outreach
Best DEI Programming
Best Youth Programming
Award for
Outstanding Contributions to Choral Music
2010: J. Reilly Lewis
Founder and Artistic Director, Washington Bach Consort; Music Director, Cathedral Choral Society
2011: Robert Shafer
Director Emeritus, City Choir of Washington
2012: Norman Scribner
Founder and Artistic Director,
Choral Arts Society of Washington
2013: Mark Ohnmacht
D.C. Performing Arts Consultant
2014: Pamela Lassell
D.C. Orchestral Musicians Contractor
2015: Joan Gregoryk
Founder and Artistic Director Emerita,
Children's Chorus of Washington
2016: Stanley Thurston
Founder and Artistic Director, Heritage Signature Chorale
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2017: Tom Hall
Artistic Director Emeritus, Baltimore Choral Arts Society
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2018: Lisa Koehler
Founder Singer Source LLC
2019: Stan Engebretson
Director Emeritus, National Philharmonic Chorale
2022: Gisèle Becker
Artistic Director Emerita, Cantate Chamber Singers
2023: Beth A. Van Wagoner Lewis
Choral Arts Patron
2024: Neeta Helms
Founder, President and CEO of Classical Movements