Loren W. Pontén, Founder and Artistic Director
The 2006-2007 season marks Loren Pontén’s fifteenth season as Artistic
Director of Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble. In 1992, while teaching in private and
public schools he founded Opus 7 as a small group of singers—mostly fellow
music teachers—who were looking for a professional performing outlet in
addition to their busy teaching schedules. Over the years, Opus 7 has grown
in size and in reputation, and now enjoys an international audience through
its recordings on the Loft and Gothic labels and has won awards and national
recognition from several North American music organizations.
Soon after founding the group, Pontén focused Opus 7 on the composition and
performance of choral works by Northwest composers. Under his direction Opus
7 has commissioned over twenty new works. In addition, the group presents at
least one concert a year that is specifically dedicated to the performance
of works by local and regional composers.
Combining his love of new music with an interest in educational development,
Loren and the Opus 7 Board instituted an annual Student Choral Composition
Awards Program to encourage young composers to create new choral works and
to contribute to the expansion of the choral repertoire.
In addition to his work with Opus 7, Loren is the Choral
Conductor for Midsummer Musical Retreat
in Walla Walla, a week-long workshop for amateur adult musicians. He has
also served as an assistant conductor for the Cathedral Choir of St. James in Seattle,
conducting the Cathedral Brass & choirs at the popular “Great Music for
Great Cathedrals” concerts, as well as other events and liturgies. He is a
member of the St. James Cathedral Choir, the Cathedral Chant Choir, and the
professional ensemble Cathedral Cantorei. As a singer, he has performed with
Choral Arts and the Tudor Choir, and has toured major cathedrals in France,
Italy, and Spain. He worked for years as a choral director in public and
private schools and has studied the Kodály method with James A. Taylor and
Dalcroze Eurythmics with Herb Henke and Julia Schnebly-Black. He holds a
B.A. in Music Education and did graduate studies in choral conducting at the University of Washington.
"In addition to a fascinating program of considerable breadth, Opus 7, capably led by its director Loren Pontén, sang with its customary polish, handsome balance and keen sense of pitch." -- Seattle P-I
