MCS Mission Statement
A West Metro Community Choir Since 1957
Minnetonka Choral Society (MCS) began in 1957 as a loose association of choirs to sing Handel’s Messiah. In 1969, we reorganized under the direction of Jim Dau, who retired in 1989 after 20 years of leading our community choir. The baton was then passed to Peter Hendrickson, and since 1991, has been held by Music Director Jere Lantz. Since our inception we have become known for our high level of artistry and breadth of repertoire.
We are a nonprofit organization, supported exclusively from the funds raised by our members and by choir concert ticket sales. Generally, we have around 70 members. We rehearse from September to April/May and perform two concerts each year for the Twin Cities community. In December, we sing a holiday concert, and in April or May, we offer our spring concert. Our concerts are frequently performed with a paid professional orchestra. Our soloists are either paid professionals or MCS members.
Our members come from all walks of life and from all over the west metro, but our commonality is our love of music! If you are interested in singing with us, please visit our Join Us page for more information on auditions.
A Choir Managed By Singers
We are a community choir managed by our members. Singers volunteer their time and talents to carry each season from just an idea to a beautiful performance.
Our current Board of Directors are:
- President: Joan Madden
- Vice President: Kirsten Pardoe
- Secretary: Virginia Ehrman
- Treasurer: Andy Karl
- Fundraising: Jacque Ridgway
- Publicity: Kirsten Pardoe
- Ticket Sales: Arne Bergren
- Membership: Christi Siegel
- Member At-Large: Steve Miller
- MCS Legacy Fund Liaison: Doug Affinito
A Dedication to Choral Variety and Joyous Musicality
Choral music expresses the full range of the human spirit. A soulful hymn. A love-struck ballad. A mourning Requiem. A thunderous anthem of pure joy. Our concerts showcase these in a wide repertoire of music from ancient melodies and folk songs, to works by the classical masters such as Mozart, to modern compositions by John Rutter and Ola Gjielo.
Would you like to join us? Auditions are in the fall, spring, and summer. Please call 952-476-1922 or contact the MCS
Would you like to hear us sing? Tickets are on sale six weeks before each concert.
Support us! Donations are welcome at any time. Sponsorship will be recognized online and in the Concert Program.
