[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 130 (Thursday, July 27, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E740-E741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING PHILIP BRUNELLE'S 80TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2023

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in recognition of Philip 
Brunelle, world-renowned conductor, organist, and choral scholar, in 
celebration of his 80th birthday.
  Throughout his life and career, Mr. Brunelle has promoted the choral 
arts in all its forms. At age 19, he became the youngest member of the 
Minnesota Orchestra, and by age 25, he was appointed choirmaster of the 
Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis, MN, a position that he 
still holds today. In 1969 Mr. Brunelle founded VocalEssence, 1 of the 
largest and most prestigious choral organizations in the country. Under 
his leadership, VocalEssence has commissioned more than 300 works to 
date, promoting rarely heard works from the past in addition to 
remarkable new music. VocalEssence has brought great distinction to the 
Twin Cities arts community, earning numerous recognition and awards 
from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, as 
well as the Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence, an 
outstanding achievement and an unparalleled honor in the choral music 
community.
  Mr. Brunelle is an institution within the choral music community, and 
a brilliant artist in his own right. Mr. Brunelle has conducted 
symphonies across the country, including the New York Philharmonic, the 
Seattle Symphony, and the Minnesota Orchestra, and directed choral 
festivals and operas around the globe. For more than 40 years, Mr. 
Brunelle served as a guest conductor and pianist on American Public 
Radio's A Prairie Home Companion, appearing on its first and final 
broadcasts. In 2002, Mr. Brunelle brought choirs from around the world 
to Minnesota for the International Choral Music Symposium, and in 2020, 
he was awarded The American Prize in Choral Conducting and was 
presented with the Honorary Member award by the Society for American 
Music.

[[Page E741]]

  Mr. Brunelle has left an indelible mark on the world of choral music 
globally and at home in Minnesota He has spent his life working 
enthusiastically to foster new talent and to expose new audiences to 
choral and orchestral music of every genre and style We are so 
fortunate to benefit from his boundless talent, and happily, he shows 
no signs of stopping.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to honor Mr. Brunelle today and 
celebrate him on his 80th birthday.

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