Brooklyn Youth Chorus Academy

Choral music education and performance:founded in 1992, the grammy award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus Academy (byc) is dedicated to offering music training and choral performances to enrich the lives of its students and community. Through music study and professional-level performances, byc unites children of diverse backgrounds and helps them develop into confident and expressive musicians and individuals. Byc strives to advance the artistic role of Youth choruses through innovative concerts, commissions and artistic collaborations.in 2022-2023, byc provided comprehensive music education using founding artistic director, dianne berkun menaker's trademarked cross-choral training pedagogy. With an emphasis on healthy vocal development, music literacy, and group performance, byc served a diverse population of over 400 nyc students ages 5-18. Byc's robust program of choral instruction included nine levels grouped by age, skill, and experience: six training division levels and three performing ensembles. In its first full year offering a pre-preparatory division for 5-6 year olds, byc added a second class mid-year to accommodate demand. In addition to providing choral instruction, byc offered private lessons in voice and piano and a range of special workshops including college panels and vocal masterclasses. Byc's robust performance season included 19 live concerts and events to audiences of over 55,000 in parks, outdoor plazas and major performing venues. All byc singers had the opportunity to perform in classroom showcases, school assemblies, and/or self-produced concerts. The performing ensembles also participated in exciting professional opportunities including performances at radio city music hall and david geffen hall, performing with artists such as joe hisaishi, the new york philharmonic, laurie anderson, anthony roth costanzo, and angel blue, and participating in recording and film projects such as fatoumata diawara's album "london ko," julian rosenfeldt's film installation "euphoria" at park avenue armory, and recording the score for the yet-to-be-released film, "afghan dreamers," by composer, jeff beal. The Chorus continued its groundbreaking contributions to the field performing world premieres of seven new works by a wide range of composers including laurie anderson, helga davis and petros klampanis, haley fohr, alev lenz, and paola prestini.the Brooklyn Youth Chorus has an active and engaged board of trustees who provide guidance and oversight and participate in a number of committees to help support and advocate for the organization. As part of their responsibilities the board regularly reviews compensation for the executive director and artistic director.