Biography
Chicago Children’s Choir’s mission is to inspire and change lives through music.
Founded as a single choir in Hyde Park at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in 1956, today Chicago Children’s Choir serves more than 4,600 youth who represent all 57 Chicago zip codes. Founder Reverend Christopher Moore believed in using music to unite youth from diverse backgrounds. That simple yet powerful mission has grown exponentially, with programs in 85 city schools, 10 neighborhoods, a choir for boys with changing voices and the world-renowned Voice of Chicago. Under the leadership of President and Artistic Director Josephine Lee, Chicago Children’s Choir’s mission has been elevated to a world stage, using music to create global citizens and revolutionizing the youth choral arts.
Chicago Children’s Choir has undertaken many highly successful national and international tours, has been featured in nationally broadcast television and radio performances, including NBC’s Today, Oprah and the PBS series From the Top: Live from Carnegie Hall and was featured in the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award-winning documentary Songs on the Road to Freedom (2008). CCC regularly collaborates with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Ravinia Festival and the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, and proudly serves its various communities with frequent performances throughout Chicago.
As a national and international touring ensemble, Chicago Children’s Choir has performed throughout the United States, in Cuba, South Africa, India, Argentina, Uruguay, Korea, Canada, Japan and Europe and for such dignitaries as former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former Chinese President Hu Jintao, former South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.
CCC has performed with or for such acclaimed artists as Renée Fleming, Denyce Graves, Kathleen Battle, Luciano Pavarotti, Samuel Ramey, Yo-Yo Ma, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Enrique Iglesias, Quincy Jones, Al Green, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Bobby McFerrin, Kurt Elling, Celine Dion, Eddie Vedder and Beyoncé. Most recently, CCC performed with Chance the Rapper and sang on his Grammy Award-winning mixtape, Coloring Book. Chicago Children’s Choir has five studio recordings – We All Live Here (2016), Holiday Harmony (2010), Songs on the Road to Freedom (2008), Sita Ram (2006) and Open Up Your Heart (2004).