Albany Pro Musica

About Us

About Albany Pro Musica

Albany Pro Musica (APM) is the preeminent choral ensemble in New York’s vibrant Capital Region and is renowned for its distinctive artistic style and  mastery of a wide range of musical genres. Critically acclaimed for its performances of intimate a cappella pieces and large-scale choral works alike, APM is led by Opalka Family Artistic Director Dr. José Daniel Flores-Caraballo and is Chorus-in-Residence at the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Maestro Flores-Caraballo has led APM since 2014 and has elevated the ensemble through ambitious programming, prestigious national and international collaborations, a renewed commitment to civic and educational engagement, and a bold vision for the future.

Locally and Internationally Celebrated

Albany Pro Musica’s reputation as a world-class chorus attracts large, diverse audiences who encourage newer, bolder projects to satisfy their growing desire for exposure to a rich choral repertoire. It’s also a draw for distinguished guest conductors, soloists, and composers, including composers-in-residence Bradley Ellingboe (2020-22 seasons) and Ola Gjeilo (2017-2020 seasons) who partner with APM for concerts, premieres, and commissioned works. In addition to long-standing hometown collaborations with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, the Musicians of Ma’alwyck, the Capital District Youth Chorale, and others, APM has developed exciting new relationships with numerous internationally renowned musicians and ensembles, including Canadian Brass, the American String Quartet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, New York City Ballet, Vienna Boys Choir, the Escher String Quartet, and The King’s Singers.

Voices Capturing the Human Spirit

Albany Pro Musica is celebrating its 41st season as a driving musical force in the Capital Region, the Northeast, and beyond. At the heart of Albany Pro Musica is the vital realization that choral music at its best is not merely entertainment but rather a transformational and emotional experience for performers and audiences alike. This perspective is reflected in Opalka Family Artistic Director Dr. Flores-Caraballo’s vision for APM, which balances exceptional technical competency, exquisite artistry, and purposeful programming that is relevant and meaningful in today’s society.

Under the leadership of Dr. Flores-Caraballo, APM is continuing to push the boundaries of choral performance in the area, embracing challenging musical programming and innovative new partnerships that elevate the ensemble to new heights. Dr. Flores-Caraballo has laid out a bold plan for APM’s future that includes the premieres of commissioned works; concerts across the northeast; new civic events and partnerships; and the inaugural Pro Musica International Choral Festival, which will be offered in 2023 in partnership with the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts at Queen’s University in Ontario and in collaboration with the University at Albany.

Our Season

Albany Pro Musica’s Concert Chorus is composed of 64 auditioned volunteer singers from several counties and states. For large choral and orchestral masterworks, the group expands to more than 100 singers as the Albany Pro Musica Masterworks Chorus and is often joined by the instrumentalists of Orchestra Pro Musica. Albany Pro Musica offers four series concerts each season, including “Artist Series” concerts which bring world-renowned artists and ensembles to share the stage with APM; “Masterworks Series” performances of oratorios and other large-scale choral works with orchestra; and an annual Christmas program, which has become a wonderful holiday tradition in the region. Each season is deliberately curated to include classical masterpieces from the choral canon, new compositions from modern and contemporary composers, and popular selections from the worlds of Broadway, traditional and folk music, and more.

In an innovative response to the ongoing coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic and associated shutdowns, APM presented an entirely virtual concert series during the 2020-21 season. Read more about our virtual season, and watch excerpts from each of our four virtual concerts, in our 40th Anniversary Season Annual Report.

Our Commitment to Education

Music education is one of APM’s pillars, and the organization’s educational programs have made a mark on the lives of more than 3,500 young students in the Capital Region and beyond. APM’s annual High School Choral Festival typically brings together hundreds of gifted musicians from regional high schools for an intensive day of rehearsal and performance with Maestro Flores-Caraballo joined by a guest composer or conductor of national prominence. During the 2021-22 season, APM is reimagining our festival and partnering with the University at Albany to host a day-long, immersive program, full of workshops, rehearsals, and a final concert — all on the university’s campus.

APM will partner with the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts at Queen’s University in Ontario and the University at Albany to offer the inaugural Pro Musica International Choral Festival in summer 2023. The festival represents APM’s largest educational offering to-date and will be an opportunity for students from across the United States and Canada to study and perform with distinguished faculty and world-class musicians. Generous funding from Bader Philanthropies, Inc. provides full fellowships to all participating students, allowing the Pro Musica International Choral Festival to waive the tuition and room & board fees for every attending student.

Check back soon for information about APM’s instrumental masterclasses and highly selective youth apprenticeships!

Mission

To perform a broad spectrum of quality choral music at the highest levels of artistic excellence that inspires and transforms our audiences and to provide exceptional educational experiences that advance the choral art among new generations of singers.

Vision

Albany Pro Musica will be a leader in the choral arts in New York’s Capital Region, the Northeast and beyond ― bridging cultures, ethnicities, and generations.

Core Values

Perform with excellence
Inspire new generations of singers
Engage expanded and broadly diverse audiences
Operate with integrity
Respect each other and our community