Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble will open its 2025-26 season with a new – yet familiar – conductor at the helm and a program that reflects both his artistic roots and his vision for the future.
Joe Miller, a former VAE singer and seasoned conductor, steps in as the professional chamber choir’s fifth music director since its founding in 1979.
“I am honored to be the new music director of VAE,” noted Miller, whose debut concert will take place this October, the first of three productions under his direction this season.
“As we begin our 47th season, we stand at a remarkable moment poised to build on the ensemble’s outstanding traditions and to dream of new artistic potential for our community,” he continued.
Keeping things close to home
Miller replaces Grammy-nominated musician Craig Hella Johnson, who stepped down in March to pursue new professional opportunities. Johnson remained involved with VAE in recent months, assisting in the search for his successor.
The choice marks a homecoming for Miller. After singing with VAE while a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, he went on to several collegiate teaching positions, culminating in his role as director of choral activities at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where he prepared choruses for the New York Philharmonic. He recently concluded his tenure as director of choral activities at the Spoleto Festival USA and continues as conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra Symphonic Choir.
Miller has served as professor and director of choral studies at CCM since 2020.
“Joe Miller is the perfect match for VAE,” said Executive Director Julianne Akins Smith, noting his “new vision with extensive international experience.”
“He is not only incredibly talented as a choral leader and visionary, but has a very compelling and unique focus on concert design,” she added.
Looking ahead to the season
Over the past five decades, VAE has grown into one of Cincinnati’s leading professional vocal groups, known for its small ensemble format and range of contemporary and traditional repertoire. The group’s 2020 recording of “Canticle” by Kile Smith helped earn producer Blanton Alspaugh a Grammy Award.
Miller described the upcoming season as “sonic and visceral musical experiences filled with iconic music for chamber choir.”
Fittingly titled “Chapters of a New Era,” this season’s opening concert marks Miller’s official return to the ensemble and the start of his tenure as music director. The program, set for Oct. 5, features five sections, each exploring a different facet of musical experience.
The first chapter contrasts simplicity and complexity, challenging conventional listening habits. The second focuses on choral classics, emphasizing the importance of understanding the past to build the future. In the third, music evokes the imagery of stained glass, highlighting color and texture. The fourth turns inward, exploring emotional depth and intensity. The concert closes with folk-inspired selections that reflect Miller’s bluegrass roots, ending the program on a joyful note.
That repertoire includes works by Francis Poulenc, Edward Bairstow and William Byrd.
Holiday and spring performances
In December, the ensemble will return to Christ Church Cathedral for its holiday program, “An Italian Christmas: A Light in the Darkness,” with performances scheduled for Dec. 19 and 20.
The program draws from Renaissance and Baroque-era Italian repertoire, featuring voices, brass, strings and winds. They’ll use a Verdin Bell—originally created for the 2012 World Choir Games in Cincinnati—during the concert. The concerts will consist of arrangements by Giulio Caccini, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Giovanni Gabrieli, Claudio Monteverdi, Arcangelo Corelli and others.
The season closes March 20 with “To the Hands: Cutting Edge Art” at the Music Hall Ballroom. The program centers on Caroline Shaw’s “To the Hands,” a multimedia piece exploring themes of displacement and community. The performance aims to reflect social realities through contemporary choral music.
“I look forward to sharing VAE’s professional excellence with Cincinnati during a momentous season,” Miller said.
Vocal Arts Ensemble Cincinnati
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