Founded by Philip Brunelle in 1969, the groundbreaking organization that grew into what is now known as VocalEssence inspires new voices in singing groups in the United States and around the world. Originally known as the Plymouth Music Series, the organization incorporated as a separate nonprofit in 1979 and in 2002 changed its name to VocalEssence, capturing the essence of its mission to explore music for the human voice. Throughout its first five decades, VocalEssence has unceasingly given access to and nurtured new voices through composer festivals, commissions, presenting choirs from around the world, cross-cultural education programs including VocalEssence WITNESS and ¡Cantaré!, free tickets and programs to students and seniors (Vintage Voices), the creation of our new intentionally inclusive youth choir VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (VESOTA), and many more. Under the enthusiastic leadership of Artistic Director and Founder Philip Brunelle and Associate Conductor, G. Phillip Shoultz, III, VocalEssence performing groups—the Ensemble Singers (32 professionals), the VocalEssence Chorus (110 volunteers), and VESOTA (55 high school students)—are made up of local residents. In addition to championing lesser-known works of the past, VocalEssence has an unwavering commitment to today's composers, which has resulted in more than 550 premieres and 300 commissions—more than half of which were written by composers of color. The organization has received the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music six times and has been honored with more Chorus America awards than any other ensemble nationwide, including the once-in-an-organizational-lifetime Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence.