VOCE, Inc.

Recognizing that music is essential to the human spirit, VOCE, based in Indianapolis, seeks to enrich the quality of life, providing captivating and memorable experiences for the audience, while challenging and rewarding the singers through the highest standards of artistic achievement. The ensemble was formed in 2006 with the vision of attaining excellence in performance while fostering love and appreciation for the choral art. VOCE’s twenty singers represent some of the finest vocal talent in Indiana and share a love of choral music with an earnest commitment to bring the gift of music to the community. VOCE made its debut performing Poulenc's Gloria with the New World Youth Orchestra and the Indianapolis Arts Chorale at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in 2006, and undertook a successful concert tour of southwest Florida in March, 2007. Joint concerts with the Fishers Chamber Players were a featured highlight in the fall seasons of both 2007 and 2008. In addition, VOCE partnered with Circle City Ringers in two concerts during 2009. The ensemble toured in the summer of 2010 to the Chautauqua Institution in New York as part of their concert series. VOCE has worked extensively with composer Dan Forrest and can be heard on Forest’s CD release The Music of Living. VOCE is excited to have Dr. Madlen Batchvarova serving as Artistic Director. Dr. Batchvarova is a dynamic conductor, pianist, singer, music educator, clinician, adjudicator and GRAMMY award winner. A native of Bulgaria, Batchvarova has honed her skills performing and recording under the baton of Maestro Robert Shaw and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Chorus. Her conducting mentors have included Krikor Tchetinyan, Sandra Willetts, Ivan Dimov, Ivan Spassov and John Haberlen. Dr. Batchvarova has conducted and presented her scholarly work at distinctive sites, including Carnegie Hall, New York, Musikverein, Vienna, The Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Royal Academy of Music, London, University of Granada, Spain, the ACDA state and division conferences. She has served as a member of the jury at the International Choral Festival in Preveza, Greece, and the Student Conductor's Competition at the 2007 ACDA National Convention. In collaboration with organist David Lamb, Batchvarova has performed on American Public Media's "Pipedreams Live" hosted by Michael Barone and released a piano-organ duet CD, "Duetti Capricciosi," found on amazon.com. Currently Dr. Batchvarova is the Director of Choral Programs at Hanover College, Indiana where she conducts choral ensembles, teaches conducting, private voice and music history. She is a board member of the ACDA Central Division as the Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives Chair.