The History of Wisconsin Chamber Choir Wisconsin Chamber Choir was founded in 1998 by Music Director Gary McKercher. The Madison, Wisconsin based ensemble has established a reputation for choral excellence in the performance of repertoire ranging from Renaissance madrigals to twentieth-century avant-garde. In their short history, the 24 to 40-voice ensemble has performed over one hundred works, recorded seven CDs, and garnered praise for precision and beauty of tone. As the entire ensemble or with select members chosen to represent the group, WCC has toured regionally throughout south-central Wisconsin and its environs, including: Madison, Sun Prairie, Portage, Delavan, New Hampton (Iowa), Rochester (Minnesota), and Rockford (Illinois). In December of 2002, WCC inaugurated an annual performance of J.S. Bach’s concerted works which have include the Christmas Oratorio (2002, 2003) and the B minor Mass (2005). Wisconsin State Journal staff writer Tom Alesias chose WCC's December performance of the Oratorio as one of the top twenty shows of 2003; music critic Jake Stockinger chose WCC's recording of the Oratorio as one of his top ten CDs of 2003. Active in the encouragement of new music, WCC commissioned Cincinnati composer Howard Helvey to create new choral works on the poetry of nineteenth-century New England transcendentalist poet Jones Very. These works were premiered in May, 2002 in a concert at First Unitarian Society of Madison and are included in the ensemble's touring program. In March 2006, the WCC premiered Now Show Us Your Rainbow, a commission from Atlanta-based composer Ethan Amir Zaheri commemorating the victims of the December 2004 Asian tsunami. In 2000, WCC was invited to perform at the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association’s annual convention in Appleton, Wisconsin. In 2001, WCC performed a program of choral music on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Sunday Afternoon Live at the Elvehjem” series, a state-wide radio broadcast aired from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Elvehjem Museum of Art. On September 29, 2001, WCC participated in “Voices in Remembrance,” a tribute to the victims of the September 11 terrorist tragedy, held at the Madison Civic Center. WCC was chosen as one of only a few local choral arts ensembles to perform at the gala opening celebration of Madison's new Overture Center for the Arts in September 2004.

Founding Music Director Gary McKercher came to Wisconsin after more than twenty years of college and university choral conducting, holding positions in Nebraska, California, Kentucky and Iowa. Choirs under his direction are regularly recognized by ACDA and MENC, and he has been active as a guest clinician and conductor across the country. McKercher holds advanced degrees in choral music from University of Southern California (DMA), California State University, Fullerton (MA) and an undergraduate degree from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa after which he studied abroad at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He has studied at the post-doctoral level at the American Conservatory in Fontainbleau, France during the summer of 1987, and in 2004 with the Tallis Scholars in Oakham, England. In the summer of 2007, Dr. McKercher left Madison for the sunny shores of San Diego to conduct the San Diego Master Chorale. Wisconsin Chamber Choir conducted a search for a new artistic director in July of 2007 and attracted several highly qualified candidates. Two of those choral conductors were chosen to direct WCC for one semester each. Dr. Robert Gehrenbeck was hired as artistic director at the end of the 2007-2008 season.

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