Areté is an innovative professional ensemble of vocal artists based in Thousand Oaks, California with the goal of performing the widest possible vocal and choral repertoire including works from essentially all periods of music history with energy, passion, expertise, and virtuosity. Special attention will be given to contemporary, experimental, improvisatory, “cross-over”, and ethnic music.

Areté has been created to address a pressing need in contemporary concert life. Visionary composers in the U.S. and beyond are creating a distinguished body of work for voices, but few professional American ensembles exist to perform this important repertoire, which combines the flexibility and intimacy of chamber music with the power and sonic variety of a symphonic chorus.

Areté seeks to build new audiences for this music by developing trailblazing modes of presentation, including unprecedented interdisciplinary collaborations, while maintaining the highest artistic standards. With an ear for the new, the unknown, and the unconventional, Areté strives to expose its audiences to exciting, adventurous and trendsetting music in formats thatmake the music accessible and alive. Through the combined power of words and music, an uncompromising attention to musical detail, and a passion for live performance, an Areté concert promises to be a joyful, moving, educational, and soul-nurturing experience.

Areté will perform in flexible sizes and configurations, and in a variety of venues including concert halls, churches, clubs, festivals, and performance spaces.

With its youthful profile, eclectic spirit, hand-picked roster of outstanding singers, and commitment to the music of our time, Areté is poised to become a powerful force for musical excellence in the concert life of Southern California.