Dale Voelker and Robert Petillo started The Washington Kantorei in November 1993 with nothing in the way of resources, and armed only with Dale's vision to recreate in the Washington DC area the German Kantorei tradition that he had encountered in his studies at the Westphalia School of Church Music, where he had studied with choral legends Wilhelm Ehmann and Frauke Haasemann. Dale and Rob were eager to participate in the genesis of a choral ensemble that would:

Specialize in performing unpublished manuscripts, particularly sacred music of the German Baroque;

Combine tonal richness and variety with faithfulness to accepted ideals of historically-informed performing practice;

Explore new and unusual choral repertory of the modern era, especially that of Europe and Scandanavia;

Provide a satisfying performance experience for skilled singers with varying degrees of experience;

Provide an introductory experience in musicology to the music students who assist in the preparation of our performing editions.

The Kantorei concept came to fruition in 16th-century Germany, as professional musicians gradually expanded the venues of sacred music beyond the bounds of the worship service. In the 19th century, as large amateur choruses flourished, the Kantorei tradition faded, to be reborn through the efforts of dedicated church musicians such as Ehmann, following World War II. Today, Kantorei are once again found throughout Germany, and in several U.S. cities. With our Kantorei we seek to make this great music come to life again, to the edification of our audiences and the greater glory of God