Encore Creativity for Older Adults, the nation’s largest choral organization for adults over 55, welcomes singers in New York City to its spring semester of singing starting January 11. The local group will sing an eclectic mix of songs to light up the colder months and usher in the spring, from choral arrangements of Blue Skies and Bridge Over Troubled Water to celebrating friendship through singing with All the Way Home.

Registration is now open for Encore Creativity’s spring semester of 22.5 hours of rehearsal time, with 90-minute rehearsals once per week. The season will culminate in a crowd-pleasing performance that is free and open to the public. No auditions are ever required for an Encore program, and no experience is necessary. The non-profit’s guiding mission is to provide a welcoming and accessible artistic environment for all adults 55 and older who seek it, regardless of prior experience. Bernadette Hoke will conduct the New York City chorale, which meets on Wednesdays from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM at the Broadway Presbyterian Church, 601 W 114^TH St, New York, NY.

The Encore Chorale of New York City brightened the lights in the city for their recent fall holiday concert, singing dazzling renditions of Sleigh Ride, Silent Night, Ose Shalom, and Hallelujah Chorus. Encore provides an opportunity for older adults of all skill levels and experience levels to unite in harmony and perform in prestigious venues across the United States. Encore singers across the country gathered on Monday, December 26^th for a performance at the John F. Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington, DC, singing holiday favorites and rejoicing in the new year with over 400 singers in attendance.

Tuition is $190 per person for the 15-week program. Tuition includes sheet music and a rehearsal CD highlighting a singer’s voice part. Encore will follow all city, state, and federal COVID-19 guidelines. For those who prefer singing virtually, Encore also hosts online rehearsals that learn the same repertoire as in-person chorales. For more information and registration, visit www.encorecreativity.org or call 301-261-5747.

For singers who want a full musical experience, a new semester of Encore’s vibrant online educational program Encore University begins mid-January. Encore University is a comprehensive online program of enrichment courses in music history, music theory, dance, art, and more. Tuition for the spring semester of Encore University is all-inclusive at $99 and includes recorded versions of classes to be viewed on demand. Singers can combine both the in-person program with online classes for a holistic approach to arts education.

Founded in 2007 by Jeanne Kelly during an NIH-funded study to address the mental and physical health benefits of singing for older adults, Encore Creativity for Older Adults now hosts chorales nationwide, plus its annual summer camp, winter retreat and travel abroad programs. Encore seeks to provide a place in the arts for all older adults who seek training under a professional artist, regardless of experience or ability, and serve a traditionally underserved community in the crucial area of arts and wellness. Encore’s other programs, also offered online, include its ROCKS rock ‘n’ roll ensembles and its therapeutic Arts for Life programs for those with cognitive change and their care partners. Across all its programs, Encore now has more than 1,500 singers and 30 ensembles throughout the country, from the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan region to Santa Clarita, California. Encore’s mission is to serve as a fun and welcoming thought-leader in the creative aging sphere.