The Houston Chamber Choir is a professional ensemble dedicated to performing choral music of all genres at the highest artistic level. We are devoted to deepening appreciation for choral music and moving hearts through exceptional performances, creative collaborations, and impactful educational outreach.
The Houston Chamber Choir was founded in 1995 by Robert Simpson and directed by him through the 2024-2025 season. Betsy Cook Weber assumed the role of Artistic Director in the summer of 2025. The Choir is composed of 24 professional singers, most of whom have studied at the top music schools and conservatories in the United States. These musicians are selected through rigorous auditions from the finest singers in our region and are compensated for all rehearsals and performances. Eager to promote the music of our day, the Houston Chamber Choir regularly commissions, performs and records works by today's leading composers and also delights in singing a wide range of styles from early music to jazz.
Under Simpson’s leadership, the achievements of the Choir were remarkable. In 2020, the Choir received the Grammy® Award for Best Choral Performance for its recording of the complete choral works of Maurice Duruflé. Other honors include Chorus America's Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, and the American Prize. Jamie Bernstein dubbed the choir as "the choral equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters." Barnaby Smith, Music Director of Voces 8, described working with them as “like driving a Ferrari.”
The Choir’s first national exposure came in 1999, four years after its founding, when it was invited to perform at the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Chicago's famed Orchestra Hall. The Chamber Choir has received similar invitations from Chorus America, The American Guild of Organists, The Association of Anglican Musicians, the Association of Lutheran Musicians, the Texas Choral Directors Association, and the Organization of American Kodály Educators. They toured Latvia, Estonia, and Sweden in the Summer of 2025 in celebration of their 30th anniversary.
Through the years
-
The 2025-2026 season was supposed to continue with January’s free educational event, Hear the Future — which was to feature masterclasses for Houston-area youth choirs followed by a joint concert — was cancelled due to unsafe weather conditions.
February's concert was a notable event: guest conductor Jason Max Ferdinand — fresh from acclaimed performances at the BBC Proms in London and with the Los Angeles Master Chorale — led What Have We Done TODAY? at South Main Baptist Church. The following day, the choir participated in Voces 44 at St. Luke's UMC, a collaboration with VOCES8 and U.S. Scholars conducted by both Barnaby Smith and Jason Max Ferdinand.
April's The Sacred Veil was among the season's most significant programs: a tribute to Houston's medical community featuring Eric Whitacre's The Sacred Veil and a world premiere by J. Todd Frazier, with special guest scientist Dr. Daisy Fancourt.
The season closed with Open-ish Mic Night at The MATCH – Matchbox 2 on May 30, a lighthearted showcase of show tunes and pop songs performed in two sets where the singers were joined by Friends and Neighbors of the Houston Chamber Choir.
-
Houston Chamber Choir concludes its 30th anniversary season with Gather ‘Round, Founder Robert Simpson’s final concert with the group. He is subsequently named Conductor Laureate.
Bob’s tenure ends with a memorable 8-day tour of the Baltics including concerts in Tallinn, Estonia , Riga, Latvia, and 2 concerts in Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden, where his love for choral music was born.
The Houston Chamber Choir organization begins its first season under the artistic leadership of Betsy Cook Weber, Friends and Neighbors, in her inaugural season as artistic director. This season focuses on collaboration with friends of Houston Chamber Choir, artists of international repute, as well as our friends right here in the Houston area.
The season opened in September with a program pairing two giants of the Classical era: Mozart's Requiem alongside Haydn's Te Deum and Applausus, featuring members of the Houston Symphony and conducted by Dr. Weber at St. Luke's United Methodist Church.
October brought All God's Creatures, an animal-themed concert at South Main Baptist Church that included works by Britten, Puts, and Shafer, along with the world premiere of Houston Seasons – Autumn by Daniel Knaggs and Devondra Banks Brown.
Tapestry: Christmas at the Villa, held at the Chapel of the Villa de Matel in December, celebrated the centennial of the Villa's cornerstone alongside the Sisters of Charity through carols representing the Sisters' countries of origin, with the Treble Choir of Houston and Houston Bronze Ensemble joining the Chamber Choir.
-
Houston Chamber Choir celebrated its 30th anniversary season, From Startup to Standout, celebrating the first 30 years of the organization's history.
The split season between founder Robert Simpson and artistic director designate featured many key moments like the world premiere of Patrick Hawes’ The Son of Man with the Houston Symphony.
-
After his 30 year tenure founding and stewarding the growth of the Houston Chamber Choir, founder & artistic director Robert Simpson announces his retirement at the conclusion of the 30th anniversary season.
Dr. Betsy Cook Weber is tapped as artistic director designate to assume leadership of the choir beginning with the 2025-2026 season.
-
“Duruflé: Complete Choral Works” won Best Choral Performance at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.
Houston Chamber Choir welcomes renowned British composer Bob Chilcott for the world premiere of his newly revised Circlesong.
Houston Chamber Choir records their sixth album, joined by the Treble Choir of Houston and to be produced by Signum Classics.
With One Accord podcast season 1 launches with Music Mondays with Robert Simpson, Behind the Music with St. John Flynn, and Education Spotlight with April Harris.
Houston Chamber Choir Digital Stage launches.
-
Houston Chamber Choir releases new album, “Duruflé: Complete Choral Works”, produced by Grammy® Award-winning producer Blanton Alspaugh.
The Chamber Choir is selected as one of 24 choirs to perform during the 12th World Symposium on Choral Music in Auckland, New Zealand, in July of 2020.
Houston Chamber Choir welcomes Dr. James Whitbourn and performs his work Annelies in collaboration with the Holocaust Museum Houston.
Houston Chamber Choir performs the world premiere of Pierre Jalbert’s Desert Places, along with other Houston-based composers’ works.
-
Guest conductor Alexander Blachly leads the Chamber Choir in a special concert exploring gamesmanship, eloquence, and surprise in the Renaissance.
Houston Chamber Choir is honored with Chorus America's 2018 Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence.
Jamie Bernstein, daughter of Leonard Bernstein, hosts an evening of personal reminiscences and music by her father in celebration of his centennial year.
Signum Classics recording label signs Houston Chamber Choir.
-
A performance of Bach's Mass in B minor with period instruments.
The Chamber Choir performs Mexicantos II, a reiteration of the popular Mexicantos concert, highlighting the choral music of Mexico featuring mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte.
Houston Chamber Choir members perform in Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience.
Houston Chamber Choir members perform in Hans Zimmer Live on Tour.
The Chamber Choir records their fifth album comprised of the complete choral works of Maurice Duruflé with organist Ken Cowan.
The Chamber Choir presents an evening of Brahms and Barber, featuring guest pianist and Shepherd School of Music professor Brian Connelly.
-
The Chamber Choir presents Mexicantos, a concert that celebrates the choral music of Mexico.
Guest conductor Elena Sharkova leads the Chamber Choir in an evening of Russian choral music.
Houston Chamber Choir premieres a new work and performs with Grammy Award-winning jazz musician, Christian McBride and The Christian McBride Trio.
-
Houston Chamber Choir celebrates its 20th anniversary season
Chamber Choir presents music of choral masters with guest conductor, Anton Armstrong.
Releases new album "Soft Blink of Amber Light" (MSR Classics), featuring contemporary choral music.
Releases an album collaboration with Da Camera of Houston, "Rothko Chapel - Morton Feldman / Erik Satie / John Cage" (ECM Records), featuring Kim Kashkashian, Houston Chamber Choir and Robert Simpson, Sarah Rothenberg & Steven Schick.
-
The Chamber Choir performs music of Gabrielis, Hassler, Schütz, and others with Canadian sackbut and string ensemble, ¡Sacabuche!
María Guinand, world-renowned Venezuelan conductor, leads the Houston Chamber Choir in a program of Latin-American music.
-
Accepts second invitation to perform at the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Dallas.
Simon Carrington, founding member of The King’s Singers and Yale University professor emeritus, guest conducts the Houston Chamber Choir in an all British program.
-
Tours Northeast with stops at Yale University and New York City’s Trinity Wall Street.
Jamie Bernstein, daughter of Leonard Bernstein, hosts an evening of personal reminiscences and music by her father.
Releases world-premiere recording of "Psalmi ad Vesperas" on MSR Classics Label with acclaim.
Rise Up Singing!, Houston Chamber Choir's educational initiative, launches.
-
Drama Desk nominee Judith Blazer appears with the Chamber Choir in a Broadway-inspired evening at Alley Theatre.
Gives first modern day performance of Giovanni Paolo Colonna’s Psalmi ad Vesperas.
-
Hosts Chorus America’s national conducting Masterclass with Yale University professor Marguerite Brooks and renowned Swedish conductor Robert Sund.
Accepts invitation to perform in Dallas at the national convention of the Organization of American Kodály Educators.
Peter Schickele joins the Chamber Choir for “Bach in the Saddle, An Evening of P.D.Q. Bach”
Robert Simpson receives Chorus America’s Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art.
-
Stages Duke Ellington’s Third Sacred Concert, his last major work.
Releases "Ravishingly Russian" CD on MSR Classics Label to strong reviews.
-
National Endowment for the Arts selects Chamber Choir to host a national festival of American music with 2004 Musical America Conductor of the Year Joseph Flummerfelt and gospel music specialist Barbara Wesley Baker.
Noted Dutch conductor Reinbert De Leeuw directs the Houston Chamber Choir in a performance of Stravinsky’s Les Noces in its first collaboration with Da Camera of Houston.
Gives Southwestern premiere of Vivaldi’s recently discovered masterpiece Dixit Dominus with Bill McGlaughlin, host of Public Radio’s “Exploring Music” and “St. Paul Sunday.”
Appears as featured choir at the Texas Choral Directors Association in San Antonio.
-
Presents Houston’s first period instrument performance of J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor.
-
Joins Jazz legend Dave Brubeck and his quartet for his first Houston appearance in over 20 years.
-
Hosts Tallis at 500, marking the 500th birthday of English Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis, led by Peter Phillips, founder of The Tallis Scholars, and American scholar and conductor Alex Blachly.
Tours Southern states, performing in Atlanta and at Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Charleston, South Carolina.
-
The Choir is awarded a medal at the International Choral Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales
-
The Chamber Choir is invited to perform at the American Choral Directors Association national convention in Chicago
Hear the Future, Houston Chamber Choir's Annual Invitational Choral Festival, launches
-
Robert Simpson founds the Houston Chamber Choir
First performance in June 25, 1995