Kevin Klotz, artistic director for the Houston Choral Society, said music has played a significant role in his life since he was a young boy. His father played the guitar, his uncles performed in a country band and his grandmother sang opera music.
Before long, he found himself learning to play various instruments and performing in groups at school. He would go on to study piano performance at Houston Baptist University and later study choral directing at the University of Houston.
“Music is all I’ve ever known,” he said. “It’s something I go to because it brings me a lot of joy.”
A couple of years ago, members of the Houston Choral Society approached Klotz asking him to direct the singers when Betty Devine, long-time friend and founder of the group, retired after 29 years directing.
Devine founded the group in the fall of 1987 with 30 community members and Houston Community College students in an effort to advance the choral arts through educational experiences and collaborations with other groups.
In its 30 years of existence, the group has made five international tours, singing in major European cities such as London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Berlin, Rome, Vienna and Budapest. In Houston, the group opened the Republican National Convention in 1992 and has performed for children in local hospitals at Christmastime.
“Dr. Devine has built a very successful and professional ensemble that has clearly established itself as a powerful force in the choral community,” Klotz said. “My vision is to continue these things as well as the high excellence already established by the ensemble, and to continue to perform great masterworks.”
Today, Houston Choral Society has nearly 75 members who perform a variety of music—from major classical works to Broadway reviews and folk music—alongside a live orchestra. With an average of six performances every year, which take place at The Foundry Church on Jones Road, Klotz said there are eight to 10 rehearsals for each concert.
Houston Choral Society is funded by ticket sales, donations, grants and contributions from the chorus members themselves. Those interested in getting involved can audition by appointment Jan. 7 from 9 a.m.-noon or Jan. 9 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at The Foundry Church, 8350 Jones Road, Houston.
“I think the community knows the hard work the singers put into presenting professional-level concerts that not only sound great, but also communicate emotion and passion,” Klotz said. “The singers really become the music and connect to their audiences.”
The Foundry Church, 8350 Jones Road, Houston
832-478-6986
www.houstonchoral.org
