Description
In July of 2002, a group of men banded together with a common mission: To express through excellence in men's choral music the inherent worth and dignity of all people in order to foster a global community that celebrates and embraces diversity.
With that lofty goal in mind, the men met, formed an executive council and joined Crescendo: The Tampa Bay Women's Chorus as support members. With the love and assistance of their sisters in song, these men were affectionately called the "Men of Crescendo" in their first appearances. By late September 2002, the council officially registered with the Florida Secretary of State, and announced the arrival of Una Voce: The Florida Men's Chorale under the artistic direction of John-Philip Mullinax.
Since its debut in December 2002, Una Voce has performed at events ranging from Pride celebrations in Tampa, St Petersburg, and New Port Richey, to the City of Tampa's 2003 holiday celebration; was invited to participate in the tenth anniversary concert of the Fort Worth (TX) Men's Chorus; made its international debut in 2004 at the VII è GALA Festival in Montréal, Canada; and, in February 2006, took the stage of the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City. Una Voce sang with the Richey Community Orchestra during their 2008 season, and performed to 6000 of their peers, to great acclaim, in Miami, FL for GALA Festival VIII.
Additionally, Una Voce has created a small ensemble to perform for events at which the entire chorus cannot attend. The UV Rays is an auditioned group of 8 singers from the main chorale who sing an expanded repertoire with featured solos. In October 2007, the UV Rays made their GALA debut at the Annual Leadership Conference in Denver, Colorado, where their performances were met with enthusiastic standing ovations.
Now under the artistic direction of Johnny Ray Jones, the future of Una Voce looks incredibly bright, with a number of exciting opportunities on the horizon. And, of course, Una Voce will continue to perform throughout the Tampa Bay area.
