$7,350 raised by 25 donors
25% complete
$30,000 Goal
About Verdigris Ensemble
Founded in 2017, Verdigris Ensemble is a Dallas-based artist collective infusing choral music with leading-edge technology and interdisciplinary storytelling. We create immersive arts and culture experiences that reflect the diversity of our time and transform lives through story-rich, multi-sensory musical journeys. Our 16 singers, hailed as "the crème de la crème of the area's professional choral voices" by the Dallas Morning News, collaborate with local and national performing arts organizations to elevate our performances beyond traditional boundaries.
Verdigris Ensemble is committed to pushing the boundaries of vocal music by commissioning new works, collaborating with diverse artists and organizations, and embracing technological innovation. Our performances, from Texas Premieres to World Premieres, are a unique blend of notable works such as Julia Wolfe's Anthracite Fields and groundbreaking projects like Betty's Notebook, the first programmable music NFT on the blockchain.
Beyond performances, we invest in our community through free voice lessons for choir students at underserved schools in South Dallas, aiming to give underprivileged and underrepresented kids a fair chance to pursue their musical dreams. Our commitment to social and environmental issues is reflected in our programming, often involving multi-sensory, immersive, and interactive experiences that bring attention to pressing concerns of our time.
"What is Verdigris Ensemble?" - produced by Burnt Pie Productions
Our Needs
As we embark on our 8th season, entitled "TRANSCEND," we continue to push the boundaries of choral music, often finding ourselves at the intersection of art and activism. Your support on North Texas Giving Day will help us:
By supporting Verdigris Ensemble, you're not just funding a choir – you're investing in the cultural fabric of our community. You're enabling the creation of transformative musical experiences, supporting arts education for those who need it most, and helping to keep talented artists right here in Texas. Join us in our mission to redefine what choral music can be and its impact on our world.
Vision
To transform lives through story-rich, multi-sensory musical experiences.
Mission
- [Create] a new artistic movement through commissioned works
- [Invest] in musicians, artists, and communities
- [Redefine] vocal music through interdisciplinary programming and technology
Values:
- Creative Innovation: We're fearless experimenters, embracing weirdness and pushing boundaries.
- Community Inclusion and Accessibility: Our art reflects and engages our diverse community.
- Fearless Action: We create art that we love, never compromising our vision.
- Data-Driven Decisions: We use evidence to guide our choices and improve our impact.
- Transparent Accountability: We practice self-reflection and openness in all we do.
"At Verdigris Ensemble, we recognize the systemic racial and other inequities in our society and our industry and believe it is our duty to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility for all people and to combat racism, injustice and inequality.
As we continue to have conversations both internally and within the community at large, we will aim to move forward to reach this goal in the most effective ways possible.
We make the following commitments for our organization:
We will make every effort to develop a more diverse and inclusive audience and community base. This will include enhancing our outreach throughout all segments of our community.
We will be intentional about partnering with organizations that represent BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities to bring the highest quality and most honest art, creating cultural exchange and appreciation, not appropriation.
Our programs will reflect relevant issues that bring attention to the historic and current stories and concerns of our community.
We will make efforts to program existing works by BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and women composers and, wherever possible, will commission and encourage new compositions by them.
Our W. E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy residency will continue to promote a more diverse choral ecosystem in Dallas by maintaining student mentorship and music opportunities even after students graduate from the program. We will try to enhance our outreach through similar programs in other schools within our community.
We will advocate other thought-leaders to follow suit through content media and further engagement.
We realize that combating inequity requires thoughtfulness, sensitivity, and the willingness to listen and learn. We commit, as a board and as a community, to adapt our strategic planning to prioritize diversity of the Board of Directors, staff and ensemble and to constantly strive to integrate education into the fiber of our organization, to advance racial healing, equity, and diversity to learn how to most effectively address, program, and promote BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and women composers, musicians, and artists."
Approved by the Verdigris Ensemble Board of Directors
December 7, 2020 (Renewed September 11, 2023)
Organization name
Verdigris Ensemble
other names
Verdigris
Causes
Arts & Humanities
Operating Budget
$500,000 - $999,999
Counties Served
Dallas
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx
BIPOC Leadership
Neither/None
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Address
3630 Harry Hines Blvd, Box #45