Jordan Sramek (pictured), founder and artistic director of Twin Cities choral group the Rose Ensemble, has been awarded Chorus America's Louis Botto Award for 2010. The prize goes to an individual to recognize "innovative action and entrepreneurial zeal" in the development of outstanding choral music. In another honor, the Rose has been chosen to represent the United States at the 2011 World Symposium on Choral Music in Argentina. Sramek founded the Rose Ensemble in 1996. It presents concerts in the Twin Cities and elsewhere, and has recorded nine CDs. The Louis Botto Award has only been awarded seven times previously, to such legendary figures as Dale Warland, Gregg Smith, Dennis Keene (Voices of Ascension, New York), and Mary Deissler (Handel and Haydn Society, Boston). The Rose Ensemble will present a free concert in St. Paul on Sept. 11, and give the first concert of its 2010-11 season in November. Details on the ensemble's website.
The Rose Ensemble / Both photos by Michael Haug
