About — Elise Groves, soprano

Elise Groves, soprano, is a dedicated and versatile soloist and chamber musician. Her repertoire ranges from Medieval chant to new compositions, with a special focus on the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Based in Boston, Elise performs throughout the US and recently made her European debut with The Tallis Scholars.

Solo highlights include Haydn’s “Lord Nelson” Mass (Church of the Advent), Mozart's Requiem and Coronation Mass (Church of the Advent), Bach's St. John Passion (Ensemble Musica Humana, Schola Cantorum of Boston) and St. Matthew Passion (Brown University), and fully-staged versions of Schütz's Weihnachtshistorie (Musica Nuova/The Weckmann Project) and Hildegard's Ordo Virtutum (Ensemble Musica Humana, Cantoris), as well as appearances with The Bach Project, Schola Cantorum of Boston and at Notre-Dame de Paris.

As an ensemble singer, Elise has appeared with The Tallis Scholars, Handel and Haydn Society, Vox Vocal Ensemble, Exsultemus, and Seven Times Salt, among many others. She was featured in a program of Byrd’s consort songs with Sonnambula, selections from Dowland’s “A Pilgrim’s Solace” with Long & Away, and Lassus' “Prophetiae Sibyllarum” with Tramontana, a solo-voice chamber ensemble she co-founded. Elise also sings with True Concord Voices & Orchestra and was a chorister and frequent soloist with the all-professional Choir of the Church of the Advent in Beacon Hill for twelve seasons.

In addition to her work as a performer, Elise is the Operations Manager for The Bach Project - an ensemble she founded with Andrew Sheranian to explore the music of J.S. Bach and present concerts in Dorchester and the greater Boston area. Elise previously served as the Music Administrator for the Church of the Advent, the Production Coordinator for Early Music America's Young Performer's Festival at the Boston Early Music Festival, and as orchestra librarian, manager, and student conductor for the Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra.

Elise is also developing a reputation for her performing editions of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque repertoire and enjoys discovering each composer’s unique style and idiosyncrasies. Before moving to Boston, she taught choir for grades 6-8 at a public middle school in the Portland, Oregon metro area. Though no longer in the classroom full-time, she has remained passionate about arts education and advocacy.

A native Oregonian, she received a B.A. in Music and M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Music Education) from Oregon State University, and an M.M. in Early Music Performance from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. When Elise isn't singing, you can find her organizing all the details for the next project, doing various things with yarn, or continuing her lifelong search for the perfect cup of hot chocolate.

Short Form

Elise Groves, soprano, is a dedicated and versatile soloist and chamber musician. Her repertoire ranges from Medieval to new compositions, with a special focus on the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Recent solo highlights include Haydn’s “Lord Nelson” Mass (Church of the Advent), Mozart's Requiem and Coronation Mass (Church of the Advent), Bach's St. John Passion (Ensemble Musica Humana, Schola Cantorum of Boston) and St. Matthew Passion (Brown University), and fully-staged versions of Schütz's Weihnachtshistorie (Musica Nuova/The Weckmann Project) and Hildegard's Ordo Virtutum (Ensemble Musica Humana, Cantoris), as well as ensemble appearances with The Tallis Scholars, Vox Vocal Ensemble, Handel and Haydn Society, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, Exsultemus, and The Bach Project. A native Oregonian, she received a B.A. and M.A. in Music Education from Oregon State University and an M.M. in Early Music Performance from the Longy School of Music. When Elise isn't singing, you can find her doing various things with yarn or continuing her lifelong search for the perfect cup of hot chocolate.

For program/publicity purposes, a downloadable headshot, bio, and résumé can be found here.