Singing to enrich and inspire
The mission of Choral Arts Ensemble is to inspire, educate, and enrich the community at large through outstanding choral performance.
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HISTORY
Choral Arts Ensemble has been inspiring audiences throughout southeast Minnesota with outstanding choral music performances since its founding by Rick Kvam in 1985. CAE's auditioned singers are active community members from a wide variety of professions, including teachers, doctors, nurses, medical students, business people, IT professionals, and church leaders, all drawn together to create excellent music and contribute to the artistically thriving life in and around Rochester.
Our repertoire includes a cappella works, from the Renaissance to the present day, as well as a variety of choral/orchestral works ranging from J.S. Bach's Mass in B Minor to Beethoven's Mass in C to Honegger’s King David. We are proud to have commissioned and premiered more than 65 new choral works.
We have collaborated locally with many groups including the Rochester Symphony Orchestra, Honors Choirs of SE Minnesota, and the Rochester Art Center, and regionally with the Great River Shakespeare Festival, The Singers – Minnesota Choral Artists, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Dale Warland Singers. For several years CAE’s Christmas at Assisi concert has been broadcast on KSMQ public television and the choir has selections played regularly on Classical Minnesota Public Radio.
1986
2013
2023
FOUNDER
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Choral Arts Ensemble founder Rick Kvam arrived in Rochester in 1980 with a music degree from Harvard and a love of choral music. He came to attend Mayo Medical School, but shortly after arriving founded the Rochester Men’s Capella, followed by Choral Arts Ensemble in 1985 and the Honors Choirs of SE Minnesota in 1992.
During his tenure with CAE, he was received the Sally Ordway Award for arts initiative and the Mayor’s Award for artistic excellence, and he was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. Choirs under Rick's direction have sung at the White House, on National Public Radio's A Prairie Home Companion, and with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, among others.
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Rick served as Artistic Director from 1985 until 2003, then stepped away to tend to his young family and medical career. He returned to the Artistic Director role in 2012. Rick met his wife Jan through Choral Arts Ensemble (she was the accompanist), and they made music together with CAE and Honors Choir until both retired in 2024. In addition to his long musical career, Rick was an emergency medicine physician, including 26 years at Olmsted Medical Center. He retired from his "other" job in 2019.
Rick Kvam
Founder