Celebrating Women’s Choral Compositions

Founded in 2000 by conductors Edna Huelsenbeck and Gwendolyn Gassler, the Concentus Women’s Chorus is devoted to exploring the wide variety of classical music, ranging from medieval chant through contemporary compositions, written specifically for women's voices. Ensemble members are experienced singers and are expected to share a commitment to lifelong learning as musicians.

Concentus in concert

In addition to yearly full length concert presentations each year, Concentus performs at several special events in the Greater Rochester and Central New York area. Recent highlights include participation in the 2007 Choral Prism Concert, sponsored by the Greater Rochester Choral Consortium and performing choral interludes to highlight the luminaries honored at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Seneca Falls in October of 2005.

Weekly rehearsals (September-May) are held Sunday evenings from 7:00-9:15 p.m. at Asbury First United Methodist Church. Auditions are held before each season commences in September and June, and by appointment as needed at other times of the year. Learn how you can join us .

Concentus is a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a member of the Arts and Cultural Council of Greater Rochester.

Mission and Purpose

  • To inspire and lead in the choral art form through excellence in performance and the creation, exploration, and celebration of women's repertoire.
  • To collaborate with community non-profit and charitable organizations for the purpose of enhancing and adding value through musical offering to their fundraising, awareness, memorial, and other events related to the furthering of their missions.

Vision

  • We inspire a strong following through consistent excellence in performance, a rich palette of sound, open and professional representation of who we are and what we do, with the full collaboration of our membership and colleagues in the musical community.
  • We are known for our ability to collaborate with organizations in creating distinctive prsentation of their mission and purpose, and with other musicians in the co-creation of music and presentation.
  • We enjoy exchanging repertoire ideas with other women's choirs around the world. Concentus sings sacred and secular music from a wide range of periods and styles with equal enthusiasm.