The Peninsula Women’s Chorus (PWC) is a 50-voice women’s choir performing high-quality classical and contemporary music. The PWC inspires and enriches its audiences through its concert series, its ongoing program of premiering new works, and its collaborations with other Bay Area performing groups. The PWC is a two-time winner of Chorus America’s prestigious ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming and has performed three times by invitation at the national American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) convention. Dr. Anne K. Hege became the Artistic Director of PWC in fall 2021.
• Highlights
• Biography of Dr. Anne K. Hege
Awards and distinctions
2024
• Silicon Valley Creates Unrestricted Operating Grant
2023
• New Music USA Organization Fund
• California Nonprofit Performing Arts Grant
• Silicon Valley Creates Unrestricted Operating Grant
• The American Prize in Choral Performance – National Semi-Finalist Community Division for Women Making Waves CD released in 2020 under Martín Benvenuto
• The American Prize in Virtual Performance – National Semi-Finalist Community Ensemble Division for Singing a Path to Dawn: A Radio Play premiered in December 2020 under Anne K. Hege
• The American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music Community Division for the performances of “The Moon Bridge” (1930) by Florence B. Price, “Am an Ocean” (2016) by Julie Herndon, and “Herring Run” (2015) by Carla Kihlstedt in May 2022 under Anne K. Hege
2022
• Silicon Valley Creates Grant
• Cal Arts Council: Arts & Cultural Organizations General Operating Relief Grant
2021
• Silicon Valley Creates Grant
2020
• Silicon Valley Creates Grant
2019
• Silicon Valley Creates Grant
2018
• Silicon Valley Creates X Factor Award
• Silicon Valley Creates for Audience Participation Concert
2017
• Silicon Valley Creates for Trailblazers Project
• Silicon Valley Creates X Factor Award
2011
• American Prize in Choral Performance: second place, community chorus category
2006
• 22nd International Bela Bartok Choral Competition: third place, women’s division
2003
• ASCAP Award: 2002 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Award for Adventurous Programming in the category for choruses with budgets of $90,000 or less
2001
• ACDA National Convention, San Antonio: selected for the third time by audition to perform on the primary stages of this biennial convention, the only community women’s chorus in the U.S. to receive this honor
2000
• Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence: second place ($500)
1999
• ASCAP Award: 1998 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Award for Adventurous Programming in the category for choruses with budgets of $90,000 or less
Reviews and press coverage
Television:
• Peninsula Women’s Chorus celebrates spring with new concert series, KRON 4 News with Stephanie Lin, 4/30/2023
Radio:
• KDFC’s The State of the Arts by Jeffrey Freymann, 4/20/2017
Newspapers:
• Maui disaster inspires new Bay Area musical work debuting this weekend by Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 4/30/2023
• Peninsula Women’s Chorus holiday concert explores the many ways we’re connected by Heather Zimmerman, Palo Alto Weekly, 12/8/2022
• Classical KDFC Play On, California by Jeffrey Freymann, 12/9/2022
• Transported by Music, Peninsula Women’s Chorus Sings “Songs of Connection” by Janos Gereben, San Francisco Classical Voice, 11/21/2022
• Peninsula Women’s Chorus Celebrates Being Together by Janos Gereben, San Francisco Classical Voice, 11/22/2021
• Peninsula Women’s Chorus gives ‘Voice’ to resilience by Heather Zimmereman, Palo Alto Weekly, 5/13/2021
• Peninsula Women’s Chorus offers first livestream concert, celebrates women’s rights by Karla Kane, Palo Alto Weekly, 10/1/2020
• Peninsula Women’s Chorus anchors singers, community with musical ‘True North’ by Jacqueline Lee, Mercury News, 4/20/2017
• Eight-Part Ripple from WikiLeaks by Janos Gereben, San Francisco Classical Voice, 4/17/2012
• California chorus heralds its 45th anniversary with an exciting, cutting-edge commission from Ted Hearne by Susan Rooke, Chorus America, 4/5/2012
• The Many Moods of Mahler by David Bratman, San Francisco Classical Voice, 4/8/2008
• Celebrating 40 years of singing by Anna Carol Dudley, San Francisco Classical Voice, 3/20/2007
• Peninsula women to Debrecen by Janos Gereben, San Francisco Classical Voice, 7/11/2006
• Summer rhapsody by Rebecca Wallace, Palo Alto Weekly, 5/12/2006
• New music that sings and dances by Benjamin Frandzel, San Francisco Classical Voice, 4/10/2001
Blogs:
• Ad libs: A taste for turo by Rebecca Wallace
• Ad libs: Cooling off with lush choral music by Rebecca Wallace