History

As a choir director/graduate student and mother of two, Amy Stuart Hunn noticed that, here on the San Francisco Peninsula, there did not seem to be any small choirs that performed a wide range of challenging and fun repertoire.  In 2011, she invited her singer friends to read through classical motets by Victoria, Rheinberger and Verdi, African-American spirituals by R. Nathaniel Dett, folk song settings, and a couple of vocal jazz arrangements.  Over snacks and drinks afterwards, Amy Stuart Hunn formed Collage Vocal Ensemble.

She designed the group to be rewarding for experienced musicians, but also flexible enough to accommodate busy work and family lives.  In its first five years, the group operated in two modes.  In "mode 1," singers met every two weeks for a 90-minute sight-singing session.  The music was chosen and provided by the director, but members were encouraged to make requests or bring music to share.  These were casual, fun evenings; attendance was optional.  Every fall and spring, the group transitioned to "mode 2," which is essentially a traditional model: the group met weekly (2.5-hour rehearsals) for 10 weeks, preparing a full concert program for performance.

Founding Artistic Director Dr. Amy Stuart Hunn directed the ensemble through its Spring concert in 2016 when she moved to Oregon. She holds a doctoral degree in Choral Music from the University of Southern California. 

Rafael Ornes was the director of Collage Vocal Ensemble from the 2016/17 season until the 2024/2025 season. He received a Masters in Choral Conducting from Stanford University. He served as Minister of Music at Valley Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley, California. He was also the founder of the Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL).