Choral music.
It’s the sound of the human spirit.

There’s something remarkable about voices coming together in harmony, performing world-class music by beloved composers. Singers and audiences share a moment of transcendent beauty, power and peace. The world becomes a happier place.  

MasterWorks Chorale—one of over a quarter million choirs in the United States—has been bringing the joy of choral music to Central New York singers and audiences for more than a half-century. We present concerts each season in Onondaga and Cayuga Counties, sharing music that is timeless, profound, even playful.

You might hear us perform in a historic church or a local library, a ballroom or an art center. The choir has sung with church, community and school choral groups, with organists, orchestras, string quartets, and brass and woodwind quintets.

Even the audience gets into the act, at our glorious sing-along Messiah concerts. And you can't help tapping your toes and humming along to favorites on the lighter side, at the annual Spring Gala dinner and concert in May. 

To help new listeners become choral music fans, we offer free admission through age 18, and we share our music library with area school, church and community choirs.

Our mission

To perform, promote and preserve choral music through artistic excellence for the mutual enjoyment and enrichment of the community and the members of the Chorale. 

We strive to enrich our community through the preservation of outstanding choral music from all traditions; reward our audiences and our membership with choral programs that elevate and entertain; inspire artistic excellence in performance by welcoming challenge, discovery and diversity in musical form; support and promote the performing arts in Central New York.

60th anniversary season

The 2025-26 season marks our 60th year sharing joyous harmony with Central New York. 

Formed in 1965 by local church choir directors as a community ensemble, the Marcellus Chorale was named for its hometown. Founding director Joseph Centrone led the group in presenting ecumenical concerts celebrating Christmas and spring. 

The choir’s roster, concert calendar and audiences steadily expanded. Maureen McCauley served as music director from 1977 to 2011. Under her leadership, the organization was officially renamed MasterWorks Chorale in 1996. The new name reflected a growing membership committed to powerful performances of choral masterpieces. 

In 2013, Kip Coerper, ChM, became music director. With the onset of the Covid pandemic, the choir took its 2020–21 season online, with Zoom sessions, virtual choir projects and live-streamed benefit concerts. (Click the buttons below to view our virtual choir videos. ) In 2021–22,  in-person rehearsals and concerts resumed for a shortened season. 2022–23 brought our return to a full calendar, performing four concerts in Cayuga and Onondaga County venues, with as many as 60 singers on the risers. 

Upon Kip’s retirement in 2023, our current director, Micheal “Mickey” Kringer, succeeded him on the podium. MasterWorks Chorale’s diverse programming includes partnering with other area ensembles for the season opener in October; a holiday concert with standing-room-only audiences during Dickens Christmas festivities in  Skaneateles; and a sacred music concert with orchestra during Lent. The annual Spring Gala, a festive dinner-and-show fundraiser, wraps up the choral year in May.

VIDEOS

Our virtual ensemble created four videos during the 2020-21 pandemic hiatus. Enjoy.