Mission
Harmonia Atlanta is dedicated to choral excellence and compassion to support, educate, and inspire both singers and the broader community.
History
Founded in 1978 as The DeKalb Choral Guild, Harmonia Atlanta has continually served the Metro Atlanta area providing singers and audiences with a high-quality choral music experience. Under the leadership of William O. Baker, its founder, and his successor, Mary Evelyn Root, it grew over the first half of its existence from a vision into a choral organization recognized for the breadth and creativity of its programming, its high level of performance, and its sense of community for its performing members and the diverse constituencies of Atlanta. This allowed Harmonia Atlanta to create a devoted core of singer performers and a strong following in the community, expressed through audience attendance and financial support.
The quality and recognition the chorus had developed provided numerous opportunities to perform in locations beyond its home region of Atlanta. Some of the more notable moments include concert performances in Austria, the Czech Republic, England, Germany, Italy, the Piccolo Spoleto Arts Festival in Savannah, Vatican City (where it sang for a service at St Peter’s Cathedral), Wales, and Washington DC. Its stature and sound financial management also enabled Harmonia Atlanta to commission and perform the premiere of major choral works such as The MLK Celebration Mass by Sharon Willis as well as individual choral works by Jiri Laburda, Donald McCullough, Chris Owenby, N. Grant Pfeifer, and John Noel Wheeler.
The first two decades of the 21st century proved a challenge for Harmonia Atlanta as it did for most non-profit arts organizations. Thanks to the solid foundation it had built it has been able to sustain its operations interrupted only by necessary pandemic precautions and re-established its concert schedule in the 2021-2022 season. Music Directors Bryan Black, Edgar Scruggs, Donald Milton III, Mary Evelyn Root, and Keith Walker have continued the traditions and qualities instilled during the group’s formative years. The future of Harmonia Atlanta looks bright as it moves forward under the sound management of its Board of Trustees, its creative musical leadership, and a commitment to expand upon its role as a source of musical nourishment and a champion for compassion in our community.