About Us
photo by CK Ong, Instagram: @ckskylightFormed in 1992, Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble specializes in 19th – 21st century choral music with a special emphasis on works written in the last 50 years. Led by Founding Director Loren W. Pontén, Opus 7 has continually dedicated itself to bringing audiences to new worlds and new ideas through music and has achieved a reputation for precise musical artistry in the process. Pontén is particularly interested in Pacific Northwest composers and has performed over 300 new compositions by Pacific Northwest composers. Opus 7 also sponsors the annual Robert Scandrett Memorial Student Composer Awards Program, which has granted cash prizes and a professional recording of their composition to over 30 high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. Our critically acclaimed CDs have earned international recognition for their fine craft and bold interpretation. Opus 7 is a three-time award winner of the American Prize for choral performance (1st in 2013, 3rd in 2015 and 2nd in 2024), and three-time consecutive winner of the Award for Adventurous Programming from ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and Chorus America, the first in the history of this award to have won three consecutive awards.