Philomusica Chorale presents

We are so excited to kick off our 2026-2027 season as we prepare for our winter concert, America by the Numbers on January 30, 2027 -
the third in our four-part America at 250 series

Keep your eyes on this space because we have alot of fun mini events this Fall!

Did you miss our May 16 concert?

• Read the Concert Program

America @ 250 Series

As members of the Philadelphia music and arts community, we are deeply proud of our city's role in our nation's story. We are marking this historic American milestone with some historic American music!

Over the next two years, Philomusica Chorale's America at 250 series will feature a special four-concert series to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence!

Join us for special concert programs and events to commemorate, celebrate, and take on the continuing challenge of our democracy.

About Us

Philomusica Chorale (or “Philo,” in our informal shorthand) has a rich history stretching back to 1979, when the late Dr. Mardia Melroy formed the group. We are proud of our roots performing works from the classical canon, and equally proud to have stretched our wings a bit with Broadway classics, rock anthems, jazz standards, folk legends, gospel pieces, and even newly commissioned works.
We are also proud of our partnerships, bringing to the stage with us instrumentalists, dancers, drummers, poets, visual artists, and, yes, even a rock band once.
Broadening community is one of our strengths - and one of the best gifts we give to our audiences and ourselves. It includes singing for the underserved, brightening the lives of those in nursing homes, welcoming children to our concerts, serving as a “Greek Chorus” for local theater companies, performing in local community events, and caroling in and around the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia.
More than anything, our strength is embracing one another as members of the Chorale. We appreciate the unique gifts each of us brings to the experience. We learn together, strive together, laugh together, and get through the tough times together.

Chestnut Hill Business Association Member

Our singers have a wide range of musical and performance experience and represent diverse races, ages, faith traditions, community segments, orientations, and economic/cultural backgrounds.
Our ensemble is a balance of soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices—our number is currently at about 60 singers, and we welcome newcomers at any time!

Learn about our easy and fun auditions.

For over twenty years, Artistic Director Gayle Wieand brings to the Chorale an effervescent enthusiasm and a belief that music has the power to connect people of all ages and backgrounds in a meaningful way.

Gayle also leads the Philadelphia Women’s Music Project and gives private studio lessons in voice, piano, clarinet, theory and composition in person and on Zoom.

Philomusica Chorale has a diverse and accomplished board leadership team. The majority of board members are also singers in the Chorale, showing their love of and commitment to the group by volunteering their time on the board, in addition to time in rehearsals. Our highly educated board consists of three members with terminal degrees of Ph.D., six with Master’s degrees and a CPA.The work experience the members bring to the board help them to make informed decisions and think strategically in order to build the chorale and reach Philomusica's mission to entertain, engage, educate and inspire. The experience includes two members who worked in leadership for the National Park Service, an educational administrator, a nursing home administrator, a marketing, engineering and sales leader, a certified technology and business analyst, a digital library strategist, an IT strategist, an accountant, a project manager, a senior measurement scientist and two music educators.Many Philomusica Board members have also sung with and have been members of other chorale boards. Our board member longevity in Philomusica ranges from 23 years to 2 years. Their talents and skills vary with their training and experience which makes them extremely capable to accomplish the many tasks required to accomplish our mission. Many have leadership roles in their current or previous work life. The Board working alongside our talented Executive Artistic Director has led our Chorale through good times, and challenging times, such as the global pandemic.Other board members have extensive musical knowledge which supports the Chorale’s ownership and management of an extensive music library. A few board members bring a background in fundraising which will help us to meet our goal of growing our coffers to provide opportunities to continue to present innovative concerts supported by talented musicians and to champion new compositions and composers. A few of our board members are especially skilled in computer and digital organization and communication. This supports our goal to update and revise our website to better reach our community with information about the Chorale and Ways to Give. Finally, we are organized, focused and interested in continuing to grow Philomusica Chorale as we fulfill our mission to entertain, engage, educate and inspire.

2026 - 2027 Board of Directors

Executive Committee
Gayle Wieand, Artistic Director
Janine Beale, President
Cyndi Skripak, President-Elect
Mary J. Fallon, Vice President
Lauren Entrekin, Treasurer
Melissa Margolis, Secretary

Philomusica Chorale is a diverse and inclusive community promoting equity and access for all. We work to celebrate our similarities, respect and learn from each other’s differences, and make space for all voices to be heard. Philomusica strives to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging in which everyone feels welcome, respected and valued.

Philomusica Chorale proudly participates in the Art-Reach ACCESS Program. Pennsylvania ACCESS/EBT Cardholders, and Art-Reach ACCESS Cardholders may receive $2 admission for the cardholder and up to 3 guests. This discount may not be valid for special events/exhibits, sold out events, or combined with other discount offers. Visitors must show their ACCESS Card and valid photo ID to receive your tickets on the day of your visit.
For more information about the ACCESS Program, please visit www.art-reach.org/access.

Contact Us

Our Season

SAVE THE DATE for our winter concert, "America By the Numbers".

This will be the third concert in our America at 250 series to be held on January 30, 2027 at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill

• Read the Concert Program

America @ 250 Series

As members of the Philadelphia music and arts community, we are deeply proud of our city's role in our nation's story. We are marking this historic American milestone with some historic American music!

Over the next two years, Philomusica Chorale's America at 250 series will feature a special four-concert series to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence!

Join us for special concert programs and events to commemorate, celebrate, and take on the continuing challenge of our democracy.

Sing With Us

• Contact us for an audition!

If you're interested in a truly wonderful singing experience,
we want to hear from you!

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Singer Resource Portal (access-controlled)

COVID Policy

As we have returned to more normal routines, we continue to be mindful about COVID and keeping our singers and audience safe. As such, we adhere to the following health policies:

1. For singers, vaccinations are recommended by not required. We do ask those that feel sick to stay home. Thanks to technology, singers can Zoom into rehearsal and not miss anything!2. All rehearsals and performances are MASK OPTIONAL.3. We love to perform in person with an live audience but we also stream our concerts live to expand our reach to those who live far away or who can't make the trip.4. We want everyone—singers and audience alike—to feel safe and to stay healthy. Our Medic Committee remains active in monitoring community COVID trends and making evidence-based decisions about rehearsing, performing, and masking.

Let's be safe and have fun at the same time!

Press Release: July 29, 2026

CHORUSES MARK AMERICA'S 250TH WITH HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS AND NEW COMMISSIONSThe U.S. choruses that chose to engage the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence are programming a blend of historical music as well as brand-new works.July 29, 2026

The United States turned 250 this year, and many choral organizations are marking the occasion with music that commemorates the nation's history. It is a rich history, shaped over centuries by a wide range of cultural traditions, many older than the nation itself.In the seasons bookending the actual anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons — America's choruses are drawing on a wide swath of the country's singing practices, from patriotic songs and historical works to Broadway tunes and newer fare, with many organizations choosing to debut brand new works.The choruses that are participating are not doing so lightly. Many chorus leaders and singers expressed some trepidation around the anniversary, given the polarized state of the country and complex considerations about whether acknowledging the anniversary could be seen as political. A significant number of them elected to commission new works intended to bring singers and audiences together around a common theme, like the Phoenix Chorale’s upcoming concert celebrating America’s National Parks. Others chose programming to provoke thought or to help singers and listeners experience America’s history in a new light, like the Philadelphia-based Philomusica Chorale, which devoted both its 2025-26 and its 2026-27 seasons to the anniversary, or four concerts in total.Around the country, more than 175 choirs chose to participate in a nationwide program called Sing Democracy 250, which is providing the music for two new works at no charge to choirs around the country. Another nationwide program, We Are Your Children, is providing a newly composed youth anthem to high school, religious and community choirs around the country.Chorus America spoke with a range of choir leaders to capture snapshots of different choruses’ projects and activities centered on the anniversary, a cross-section of professional and community organizations both large and small.

PHILOMUSICA CHORALEThe Philomusica Chorale is a 60-voice auditioned volunteer community choir based in northwest Philadelphia. “We didn't want to do ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ or the bunting,” said Gayle Wieand, the chorale’s artistic and executive director, explaining that she did not want to default to traditional patriotic songs. “Philadelphia is the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence. We knew we wanted to do something special, something deeper.”Wieand dove into history in crafting the four America 250-themed concert programs. The first, which she titled “Coming to America,” took place in January and featured works by immigrants and first-generation American composers and poets. The second, which took place in May, was called “We Hold These Truths.” It focused on featuring historically marginalized creatives. “I'm extremely patriotic, and we wanted to be uplifting, but we didn’t want to do this with star-spangled, rose-colored glasses,” Wieand said. “We also wanted to try and acknowledge the country’s mistakes and highlight some cautionary tales.”The chorale’s next program, “America By the Numbers,” will take place in January 2027 and feature songs focused on specific years, laws, amendments, historic firsts, and more, generally centered around Philadelphia. The finale, scheduled for May 2027, is titled “America at Work” and will feature a new work with music by Wieand and text by the ensemble’s poet-in-residence Vanessa Ballard, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Mechanics’ Union of Trade Associations, often identified as the nation’s first citywide trade union.“We have done nonpartisan patriotic concerts previously,” Wieand said. “We’re nonpartisan, always. But for the 250th, we wanted to do a deeper dive about the people and the country’s struggles, highlighting both the victories and the mistakes.”

Jeremy Reynolds writes about classical music for Opera, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Symphony Magazine, and The New York Times. He is also is the editor of Opera America Magazine.[Source: Full article can be read at: https://chorusamerica.org/articles/choruses-mark-americas-250th-historical-reflections-and-new-commissions

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Past Events

Take a look at some of our past concert posters