Chanticleer at a Glance

The multiple Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble at a glance

Group Information

Established:
Founded by Louis Botto in 1978 in San Francisco

Members:
The multiple Grammy Award-winning all-male vocal ensemble is comprised of 12 singers hailing from eights states across the U.S. and Canada. Matthew Oltman began his career with Chanticleer in 1999 as a singer and is currently in his 2nd season as the group's Music Director.

Repertoire:
Chanticleer's repertoire spans ten centuries from Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony and Romantic art song to contemporary music, jazz, spirituals and world music.

Concerts:
Chanticleer gives approximately 100 concerts a year throughout the world, appearing regularly in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Chicago, Toronto, Tokyo, and Paris, as well as its home base of San Francisco.

What the Critics Are Saying:

• "The singing of Chanticleer is breathtaking in its accuracy of intonation, purity of blend, variety of color and swagger of style." - The Boston Globe
• "Precise, pure and deeply felt singing." - The New York Times
• "Chanticleer fascinates and enthralls for much the same reason a fine chocolate or a Rolls Royce does: through luxurious perfection." - Los Angeles Times
• "The world's reigning male chorus." - The New Yorker

Some Facts, Stories and Anecdotes:
Named after the clear-singing rooster in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Frequently called "an orchestra of voices". All 12 singers are full-time personnel on annual salary, which is extremely rare for a vocal ensemble. Has made more than a dozen albums for Teldec/Warner Classics. Music Director Emeritus Joseph Jennings frequently arranges the pop, jazz and spirituals sung by Chanticleer.

Awards, Media Recognition and Special Achievements:
Has won Grammy Awards for its albums Colors of Love and Sir John Tavener's Lamentations and Praises. Christmas with Chanticleer: An Orchestra of Voices has been broadcast nationwide on public television since its premiere in 2002 and is now available on DVD. Chanticleer has been named one of Billboard magazine's Top 10 best-selling classical artists. Chorus America, ASCAP, and the American Music Center have honored Chanticleer's record in commissioning new  music. Music Director Joseph Jennings received the 2006 Michael Korn award from Chorus America. "And on Earth Peace: A Chanticleer Mass" received rave reviews in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and San Francisco Chronicle. A recording of the Mass was released by Warner Classics in 2007.