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The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus was founded in 1970 by ASO Music Director Robert Shaw. Comprised of 200 auditioned voices, the Chorus is an all volunteer organization that performs on a regular basis with the ASO, and is featured on many of the Orchestra’s recordings.Led by ASO Director of Choruses Norman Mackenzie, the Chorus is known for its precision and expressive singing quality. Their recordings with the ASO have won multiple Grammy awards, including Best Choral Performance, Best Classical Recording, and Best Opera Recording. Those include Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony and the Berlioz Requiem.The ASOC performs large choral-symphonic works with the full orchestra under the batons of Music Director Robert Spano and Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles. In addition, the Chorus has been involved in the creation and shaping of numerous world-premiere commissioned choral works.The Chorus made its debut at New York’s famous Carnegie Hall in 1976, with a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. In addition, the Chorus performed in Washington, D.C., for President-elect Jimmy Carter's Inaugural Concert in 1977. The Chorus has toured most of Europe, and in 1996 performed with the Orchestra in the Opening Ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic Games.Within the Chorus, there is an auditioned group of 60 called the ASO Chamber Chorus. The Chamber Chorus, which formed before the larger Chorus in 1967, performs music of the Baroque and Classical eras, as well as works by modern masters.