MINNEAPOLIS, MN – April 28, 2022 – Following their critically acclaimed COVID-19 Sessions release on Signum Classics, low voice ensemble Cantus will release COVERS LIVE! on May 1. This marks the 21st album in the ensemble’s twenty-seven-year history and the first time their popular COVERS concerts have been heard outside the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. Cantus’ COVERS concert series has become an annual tradition. “We have always loved performing our COVERS show each year,” says tenor Paul Scholtz, "in part because it’s so much fun to sing with a band, but more so because of the chance to reimagine some of these incredible songs we all know and love for the eight voices of Cantus. We are so excited to be able to finally share this music beyond our Twin Cities’ home.”

Recorded in June 2021 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, the album presents the fourteenth program in Cantus’ COVERS series, and offers a fresh take on the music of Sir Elton John, like "Rocket Man," "Circle of Life," and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," along with classics from Joni Mitchell, Earth, Wind, & Fire, The Friends of Distinction, Laura Mvula, Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton and Feist.
 
Cantus’ next program of COVERS: CHANGE IS GONNA COME can be heard live in Minneapolis at the Music Box Theatre on June 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11, 2022. Inspired by Sam Cooke’s timeless anthem of the same name, Cantus’ fifteenth COVERS program is a high-energy homage to those who spark change, blending the ensemble’s smooth vocal harmonies with the music of Marvin Gaye, Lady Gaga, Gloria Gaynor, and more.
 
“One of the hallmarks of the Cantus identity is our stylistic versatility,” says Scholtz. “Our vision is to give voice to shared human experiences, to place storytelling at the forefront. If we feel a story or song is worth sharing, we won’t let its genre prevent us from reimagining it in our voices.

Online performance available for viewing on-demand June 4 in a pay-what-you-can format.
Visit cantussings.org/online-concerts/.
 
Tickets and more information available at cantussings.org or 612.435.0046
Covid-19 Safety Guidelines: Cantus asks that all audience members wear face coverings regardless of vaccination status to comply with requirements across all performance venues. Visit www.cantussings.org for more details and for pandemic-related updates.

About Cantus
Now in its 27^th season, the “engaging” (New Yorker) low-voice ensemble Cantus is widely known for its trademark warmth and blend, innovative programming and riveting performances of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. The Washington Post has hailed the Cantus sound as having both “exalting finesse” and “expressive power” and refers to the “spontaneous grace” of its music making. The Philadelphia Inquirer called the group nothing short of “exquisite.”
 
As one of the nation’s few full-time vocal ensembles, Cantus has come to prominence with its distinctive approach to creating music. Working without a conductor, the members of Cantus rehearse and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing to the entirety of the artistic process.
 
Cantus enjoys a vigorous schedule of national and international touring, in addition to home concerts in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Cantus has performed at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, UCLA, San Francisco Performances, Atlanta’s Spivey Hall and Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival.
 
In the 2020-21 season, Cantus stayed true to its artistic vision and commitment to innovation in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, producing seven all-new online programs that reached audiences spanning 50 states and seven countries, and garnering praise for how "the sheer quality of singing somehow melted the barriers of online communication” (Star Tribune). The ensemble adapted its award-winning education programs to the pandemic, working virtually with high schools and universities both locally and nationally. Cantus also released its popular COVID-19 Sessions on the Signum Classics label, followed by Manifesto, an album of world premiere recordings of works by Ysaÿe Barnwell, David Lang, Sydney Guillaume, Libby Larsen, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and others.
 
Committed to the expansion of the vocal music repertoire, Cantus actively commissions new music and seeks to unearth rarely performed repertoire for low voices. Cantus has received commissioning grants from New Music USA, the National Endowment for the Arts, Chorus America, American Composers Forum and Chamber Music America. In line with Cantus’ ongoing commitment to fostering new works and expanding the repertoire for tenors, baritones, and basses, the ensemble has partnered with composer and former Cantus bass Timothy C. Takach and Graphite Publishing on the Cantus Choral Series, distributing Cantus’ signature arrangements and compositions for ensembles everywhere to perform and enjoy.
 
Cantus has a rich history of collaborations with other performing arts organizations, including the Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Pops, Chanticleer, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Lorelei Ensemble, Theater Latté Da and the James Sewell Ballet. The ensemble is heard frequently on both classical public radio nationwide and on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.  Cantus has released 20 recordings with Signum Classics as well as on the group’s self-titled label.
 
Integral to the Cantus mission is its commitment to preserve and deepen music education in the schools. Cantus works with more than 5,000 students each year in masterclass and workshop settings across the country, and has visited 31 Minnesota high schools throughout the 13-year history of its award-winning High School Residency program. Cantus also presents a Young and Emerging Composers’ Competition, to encourage the creation of new repertoire through cash prizes, a performance, recording and publication of winning compositions.

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