In 1966, Frank Allen, a music teacher in the Long Beach Unified School District and at Long Beach City College, gathered 16-20 singers to form a resident chorus known as the Vocal Arts Ensemble to “enlighten and enrich the world of music.”
In 1974, Allen founded the Bach Festival, an annual tradition that celebrated its namesake and Baroque music, with VAE featured each year. A cherished, annual tradition, the Bach Festival united music education programs and professionals for nearly 44 years.
1966
1983
Dr. David Wilson, a professor of choral music at the University of Southern California, succeeded Frank Allen and led the choir for over 20 years.
Now an ensemble with 50 singers, Wilson promoted public vocal music by creating the first LBUSD Honor Choir, expanding performances to South Bay and collaborating with ensembles from USC and other institutes. Repertoire also expanded to include instrumental music, and many concerts offered free childcare to audiences.
1982
Just one year before Allen’s retirement in 1983, VAE was officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
1992
One of the most apparent changes Wilson sparked, however, was his 1992 decision to rename the Vocal Arts Ensemble to Camerata Singers of Long Beach - a choice to reflect the group’s versatility, music range and period performance style of the masterworks presented in concert.
1999
In 1999, Wilson led Camerata internationally for the first time, to sing in the Dresden Tour, a trip that fulfilled his lifelong research on the works of composer Johann Adolf Hasse.
2005
After Wilson’s retirement, California State University of Long Beach Choral Director, Dr. Jonathan Talberg, was appointed artistic director of Camerata Singers.
Talberg added a core of professional singers to the ranks, expanded the size of the ensemble, introduced genres like opera and musical theatre and led a second European tour in 2006.
2009
From 2009 to 2017, Dr. Robert Istad, director of choral studies at California State University of Fullerton, led the choir as its artistic director, where he expanded the auditioned ensemble to 90 voices, introduced new education programs and expanded its Board of Directors.
In 2017, Camerata welcomed its current Artistic Director, Dr. James K. Bass. A Professor and Director of choral studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, Artistic Director of the professional chamber choir Seraphic Fire and Grammy-award Winning singer and conductor, Dr. Bass celebrates his 10th year with Camerata this 2026-2027 season.
2017
In his debut year, Bass introduced a concert series known as “Peace Projects,” to explore topics of social justice through the use of sound, choral music and community discussion. Across its seven iterations, the projects explored the issues, experiences, advocacy and representation of social justice topics like immigration, environmental justice and LGBTQ+ history.
2018
In 2018, Camerata adapted the Peace Project to create Peace4Youth, a music education program that brings choral music with a message to students in local middle schools.
Through music education, workshops and collaborative performances, P4Y offers students the opportunity to sing alongside professional artists while reflecting on issues that shape their community
2019
One year after the founding of Peace4Youth, Camerata revised a 2015 Bach Festival Program known as “Kinder Konzerts” to teach Pre-K students. This quarterly program used workshops and performances to teach fundamental music concepts.
2020
When offices closed, communities turned inward and performing arts organizations canceled entire seasons during the COVID-19 pandemic, Camerata Singers responded with an opportunity to experience live music at a critical time of need with Front Porch Concerts.
A free, outdoor concert that was socially-distanced upon introduction, FPCs became a beloved summer-program series that outlasted the COVID-19 pandemic and turned into a nearly annual tradition with over 100 concerts to date.
2022
Following several successful years of quarterly performances, Kinder Konzerts expanded to provide two 30-minute educational classes over 40 weeks per year.
Renamed to the Camerata Children’s Music Academy, this program provides interactive learning experiences focused on the vocal arts to Pre-K students enrolled at the Long Beach YMCA and LBCC Child Development Center.
2025
On May 21, 2025, Camerata was honored as “Nonprofit of the Year” by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal for the 69th Assembly District.
That fall, Camerata celebrated 60 years of continuous operation - a milestone that marks six decades of fostering artistic excellence, uniting community and enriching lives through the vocal artform. This milestone, most importantly, is a testament to the legacy carried forward by generations of singers and supporters, whose commitment continues to shape what’s ahead for Camerata’s future.
