Columbia Choirs of Metropolitan Seattle is a community, choral nonprofit organization, based on the Eastside, with a mission “to bring together people of all ages and backgrounds to learn through music and experience the joy of choral singing”. Since 1984, Columbia Choirs has been a musical home for singers of all ages to find their voice, express themselves, and grow their community. With nine performing choirs – for children, youth, and adult singers – and outreach programs in local elementary schools, Columbia Choirs offers high-quality musical learning opportunities and presents a variety of public performances throughout the year.
Mission
To bring together people of all ages and backgrounds to learn through music and experience the joy of choral singing.
Vision
A community where choral singing is essential and accessible to all
Values
Artistry
We nurture the development of life-long singing skills
We perform high-quality music, with a focus on uplifting under-represented voices
We offer singers a range of memorable performance opportunities
People
We honor all individuals for who they are and encourage self-expression through art
We believe that everyone deserves access to meaningful artistic experiences and educational opportunities
We achieve group success by centering personal growth and cooperation
Community
We create a safe environment for members to thrive
We foster deep connections between singers of all ages
We build connections within our community to enrich the world around us
Increasing Access & Creating a Sense of Belonging
Choral singing is strengthened by a rich and diverse collective of individual voices.
Columbia Choirs celebrates the diversity of its singers and families and is committed to creating an environment that is inclusive of all singers no matter where they come from, what they believe, or how they identify.
Columbia Choirs acknowledges that extracurricular choral programs can be inaccessible to some singers, due to inadequate resources or feeling unwelcome because of their background or identity. We will continue to examine our programs and organization to reduce existing barriers that prevent those community members from participating. Through financial aid and new outreach programs, we aim to reach more singers of all ages and lower the barriers to access.
By respecting each singer’s individuality and celebrating our collective richness as humans who love to sing, we will create a stronger community for all.