Tampa Bay Children's Chorus

Our History:

The Tampa Bay Children's Chorus is a non-profit community organization of over one hundred young singers in grades 1-12, selected by audition, who are divided into four choirs. Founded by its director, Averill Summer, in 1989, our mission is to provide outstanding musical enrichment and learning opportunities for children in the Tampa Bay area. The chorus has been honored to receive funding from the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, the Community Foundations of Tampa Bay and Sun City Center, and several private foundations.

Since its inception, TBCC has represented its community in various parts of the country and abroad. In July, 1996, the group made its first international tour, representing the State of Florida at the celebration of Austria's Millennium. The group presented concerts in Vienna, Graz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Paris. In July, 2000, the group made a two-week concert tour of England and Scotland, including a week as Artists-in-Residence at Doreen Rao's Choral Music Experience International Institute in St. Andrew's, Scotland. Concerts were presented in St. Andrew's and Edinburgh, Scotland, and Coventry Cathedral, Coventry, London, and Haworth, England. Other international experiences have included participation in the Niagara International Choral Festival in Toronto, Ontario.

In June, 1994, the TBCC received a commendation from Governor Lawton Chiles for representing the State of Florida at the Normandy Liberation Celebration in Washington D.C. TBCC has also participated in CME Choral Workshops in Columbia, S.C., and Chicago, Ill.; Crescent City Choral Festival, New Orleans, LA; and in June 2003 TBCC will make a return trip to New York City to participate in the International Children’s Choral Festival at Carnegie Hall.

TBCC has enjoyed a long and rich relationship with the Florida Orchestra since its first appearance with that group in 1991. Performances have included Mahler's Third Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana, as well as special holiday concerts. The group has sung under the batons of conductors Jahja Ling, Vladimir Verbitsky, Boris Brott, and Robert Summer. The Chorus has also appeared with the University of South Florida Choruses and Orchestra in Orff's Carmina Burana.

In July 1994, TBCC was honored to be a part of the All World Children's Choir at the International Society for Music Education World Conferences, joining choirs from Finland, England, and Canada. Singers from TBCC have represented the state at honor choir festivals in Texas, Georgia, California, Tennessee, Illinois, New York, Virginia and Washington D.C.

TBCC has commissioned several new works for children's chorus, including works by Nick Page, David Brunner, James Mulholland, and Malcolm Dalglish. Each of these composers has spent time in residence with the chorus, teaching and conducting their own works.