Working on the Choral Consortium’s board for the last year has opened my eyes to the greatest strengths of the choral arts community in San Diego – as well as some of its biggest opportunities to improve.

Managing a choral ensemble involves endless moving parts! From rehearsal schedules and board minutes, to MP3 practice tracks and PDF sheet music. If your choir leadership is currently drowning in email attachments or lost in a maze of personal Dropboxes, there is good news: Google for Nonprofits offers Google Workspace completely FREE for eligible non-profit organizations!

I have always known that my identity as a multiracial woman gave me a unique perspective, but over time I realized it was actually my greatest superpower as an arts leader. Growing up navigating different spaces taught me how to listen closely and bridge distinct worlds – much like a choir blending individual voices into a single, beautiful harmony. That ability to find common ground and bring people together has shaped my entire career and ultimately brought me to my role as Executive Director of the Choral Consortium of San Diego.

Having sung both in choruses and as a soloist for decades, my primary focus in college led me into a long-time career in interior design—yet music kept calling me back. Over the years, I began to notice that the skills I perfected in one area seemed to reveal themselves in the other, and I became more and more curious as to why or how that was happening…

Curious about the choral music scene south of the border? A four-day festival in Tijuana next month will showcase a sampling of choirs from Baja California and across Mexico. All concerts are free and open to the public. Encuentro Coral de Tijuana–Tijuana Choral Encounter– takes place from October 22 to October 25 at several venues across the city.

A new chorus season is just around the corner. The music is arriving. The calendar is filling up. Rehearsal schedules are appearing. Somewhere, a conductor is thinking, “I wonder how many people will actually learn their music before the first rehearsal?”

And somewhere else, a chorus member is thinking, “I have a job, a family, a house, appointments, friends, errands, three volunteer commitments, a vacation to plan, a dog who needs walking, and approximately 6,000 emails to answer. When exactly am I supposed to practice?”

CCSD Celebrates Tim Curry's extraordinary career through the music he helped make unforgettable. What better way to celebrate Tim Curry than by exploring some of the music connected to his extraordinary career!

Dolly Parton gave us thousands of songs and a musical legacy that spans generations. Her music has been recorded by countless artists, but there is something particularly special about hearing her songs transformed into harmony by a choir. From country radio to gospel stages, from 9 to 5 to Joyful Noise, Dolly understood the power of a great song and the power of people coming together to sing.

Join the Choral Consortium of San Diego for Across the Americas, a vibrant celebration of the music, cultures, and traditions of North, Central, and South America.

This inspiring concert features a diverse repertoire that spans the hemisphere. Together, these selections explore the stories, rhythms, and voices that connect us across borders!

The Choral Consortium of San Diego is seeking passionate leaders, advocates, and community builders to join our Board of Directors as we embark on an exciting new chapter of growth and impact.

This is a unique opportunity to help guide the future of choral music in the San Diego and Tijuana region. Board members play a critical role in shaping organizational strategy, strengthening community partnerships, supporting fundraising efforts, expanding membership, and helping ensure that choral music remains an essential part of our cultural landscape.

Did you miss the 2026 San Diego SINGS! Festival? Or are you ready to experience the JOY all over again? The performances from our celebration of choral music are now available to watch on the Choral Consortium of San Diego YouTube page.

Graduation may mark the end of one chapter, but your music journey does not have to stop there! At the Choral Consortium of San Diego, we know the lifelong benefits of continued singing and finding community through music.

Tomás Acosta is a versatile choral conductor, piano teacher, and vocal coach. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Ensenada, Mexico, he holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the Universidad Veracruzana.

For local choruses and performing arts organizations, the impact could be immediate, widespread, and long-lasting.

What does this mean for your chorus?

1) Your chorus may lose critical funding

If your organization receives support through the the city’s Organizational Support Program, those funds may disappear entirely. For many choruses, this funding is not supplemental. It is essential to basic operations….