About Crescendo
Crescendo’s mission is to give its audience and performers classical music experiences that are emotionally alive and personally meaningful.
Crescendo Board of Directors
Officers
Maureen S. Bateman, Lakeville, CT • President
Henry (Pete) Putzel III, Sharon, CT • Vice President
Grace Schalkwyk Yowell, Sharon, CT • Treasurer
Brian Farrell, South Egremont, MA • Secretary
Kathleen Friend, Tucson, AZ • Communications
Directors
Katharine Drake, Millerton, NY
Michael Nesbitt, Lakeville, CT
Mary Priestman, Falls Village, CT
Thomas Schindler, Lakeville, CT
Christine Gevert, Ex Officio. Founding Artistic Director
Advisers to Crescendo’s Board
Gaile Binzen, Geoffrey Brown, John Cheney, Susan Emerson Clapp, Donald Freedman, Marilyn Gross, Catherine Hancock, Sally & Fred Harris, Sally Haver, John Katz, Elizabeth Latrobe Place, Cinzi Lavin, Lynden Miller, Sarah Morrison, Randy Orzano, Stephen Potter, Roberta Roll, Jayne Segedy, Dr. Kerala Snyder, Mary C. Sullivan, Mary Verdi, Susan Vreeland, Janet Walker, Larry Wallach, Trudy Weaver Miller
Staff and Volunteers
Amy Eisen, Project Management, Choir Manager
Susan Francisco, Box Office & Data Management
Linda Lloyd, Event Management
“Crescendo is a unique organization with a stellar reputation in the early music world. Members of Boston’s and New York’s early music communities have grown to admire and respect Crescendo as one of the most groundbreaking of ensembles in the U.S.”
Audition Notice! For Crescendo’s 2026-2027 Choral Season
Are you a choral singer looking for an extraordinary musical experience?
Auditions are now open for Crescendo’s 23rd Season (2026-2027)!
Step into the world of Historically Informed Performance (HIP) under the direction of Christine Gevert. This season offers the unique opportunity to perform grand textures and rare historical treasures alongside expert early music specialists and period instrument orchestras.
Schedule an appointment for an audition by emailing Artistic Director Christine Gevert at christine@crescendomusic.org.
Our 2026–2027 Choral Projects:
FALL: Galant Fire – Striking, theatrical Baroque textures from Venice and Naples (Vivaldi, Lotti, Leo, Galuppi) with period strings.
HOLIDAY: A Celtic Wintertide – Enchanting Renaissance polyphony met with rustic Irish and Scottish folk carols, early recorders, and Celtic harp.
SPRING: Sovereign Grandeur – Triumphant, late 17th-century London spectacles by Henry Purcell and John Blow with a full period orchestra.
Where: Most Rehearsals take place in Lakeville/Salisbury, CT. Concerts are in Salisbury/Lakeville, CT, Great Barrington, MA areas.
When: Fall rehearsals start on September 7, 2026. Season Opening Gathering and Audition Date: August 31, 2026
Openings: All voice parts, including professional section leaders. Secure your audition spot today!
Crescendo is a family of music lovers that bring exquisite choral music to audiences throughout New England.
“Over the years some in our area thought that Crescendo couldn’t succeed with music unfamiliar to audiences…Our packed houses and standing ovations have proven them wrong. Christine challenges us, the singers, to master the music, and works with each one of us to be the best that we can be.”
“Music makes more people milder and gentler, more moral and more reasonable.”
