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November 18, 2010 · Eric Whitacre, a composer of choral, wind and electronic music, has quickly become one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation.
Many of Whitacre’s works have entered the standard choral and symphonic repertories. But as an innovative composer inspired by pop and electronic music, Whitacre is renowned for his groundbreaking work with virtual choirs—creating choral community via the internet.
Inspired by a YouTube video of a teenage girl singing one of his songs, Whitacre decided to embark on a social media experiment that amasses voices from around the world.
The Virtual Choir project asks participants to submit videos on YouTube where they sing various parts of a choral work. Whitacre combines their voices into a single track to create a stunning piece of music that demonstrates how music crosses cultures.
The first piece, "Lux Arumque," featuring 185 voices from 12 countries, has garnered over a million and a half hits on YouTube.
Currently, Whitacre is attempting to amass the world's largest vocal choir of over 11,000 voices. Video submission are being accepted through December 31.
Whitacre is also out with a new recording of original choral music on Decca records, Light and Gold, which "Lux Arumque" is the opening track. He spoke with John Clare about his new release and the Virtual Choir project.
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