Brent Baldwin led Panoramic Voices as Artistic Director and Conductor for the past 15 years. During his tenure, he championed a number of changes to the organization, including:

• emphasizing collaboration with other musicians and arts groups

• supporting the work of other nonprofits through concert revenue sharing

• moving from a project-based “symposium” performance group to a full time choral group

Two recurring, collaborative concert series began during Brent Baldwin’s tenure. Indie Orchestra Night, co-curated by Nathan Felix, combined the talents and musical genres of a traditional chorus plus orchestra with indie musicians, singer/songwriters, rock and pop bands, and more. Guest artists included Roky Erickson, Mobley, Sweet Spirit and Night Glitter in 2019; Big Bill, Calliope Musicals, Dustin Welch (and friends), Moving Panoramas, Nakia, and Star Parks in 2018; Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, Big Star, R.E.M.), Quiet Company, The Riverboat Gamblers, Tinnarose, Carson McHone, Danny Malone and Phil Ajjarapu in 2016; and Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater, Dana Falconberry, rapper Zeale and the Rocket Boys at the original ION in 2015.

Brent also kicked off a second iconic concert series, this time presenting his unique take on what a “Christmas concert” could be. Beginning in 2014 as a benefit concert for the SIMS foundation, n partnership with the Invincible Czars. The show moved to the Blanton Museum of Art the following year as a free event, with a final virtual iteration in 2020. In addition to the Czars and the Panoramic Voices chorus, performers over the years included Liz Cass (LOLA), Nakia, Taylor Muse (Quiet Company), Carrie Fussell (Calliope Musicals), Andy Bianculli (Star Parks) and Leslie Sisson (Moving Panoramas). was kicked off in 2014, as a benefit concert for SIMS, i hosted by the , .

Under his leadership, Panoramic Voices also presented several one-off collaborative concerts: our 2013 concert with Westlake High School Orchestra, 2019’s performance of In Bloom with Austin Soundwaves, and the 2020 live performance and virtual rebroadcast of Dido and Aeneas with LOLA and Arcos Dance.

One of the core values that Brent brought to Panoramic Voices was the need to support other nonprofit organizations. Concert ticket revenue from a half dozen concerts and donations from two virtual broadcasts were shared with the Health Alliance of Austin Musicians (HAAM), the SIMS foundation, Austin Soundwaves, and Kids in a New Groove.

One of the key innovations that came with the organization’s shift from a project-based to a year-round choral group was the ability to plan and produce multi-year projects. This included Panoramic Voices’ commission of Entre la Noche, a trilogy for chorus and orchestra based on poems by San Juan de la Cruz, composed by Russell Reed. The first two movements were included in performances in 2012 and 2013. The full work was premiered in 2015.

And then there was the Mozart Requiem Undead. This collaboration with the Golden Hornet Project reimagined the Requiem, left unfinished at Mozart’s death, by working with different composers, including Pulitzer Prize winning composer Caroline Shaw and local legend Adrian Quesada, to complete each movement in their own style. Panoramic Voices first premiered Peter Stopchinski’s take on the Lacrymosa in August 2011. Every Panoramic Voices concert thereafter featured a new movement. The full work was performed as the opening of the 2014 FuseBox festival on the lawn outside the French Legation Museum. An encore performance in 2016 was included as part of the Texas Performing Arts season at Bass Concert Hall.

Austin Critics’ Table Awards selected the Baldwin-led Mozart Requiem Undead as Best Choral Performance. In the same year, he was also featured on the cover of the national publication The Voice (image above), and was dubbed “Best Choral Wrangler” by the Austin Chronicle in their Best of Austin awards.