Cleveland Chamber Choir Announces New Artistic Director

Following a rigorous national search, the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Chamber Choir, Cleveland’s premier professional vocal ensemble, is pleased to announce that Dr. Gregory Ristow has been named its next Artistic Director. The search, co-led by Executive Director Kira McGirr and Board President Melissa Vandergriff, yielded applications from many incredible candidates.

CCC knows Ristow well. He has sung with the ensemble, was Acting Artistic Director for CCC’s 2022/23 season and led the choir at the 2023 National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association.
“Reactions to Dr. Ristow’s appointment have been universally positive,” McGirr noted. “I am thrilled that he will be formally filling the role of Artistic Director. Working with him during our past season has been a delight, and I’m excited to help support his vision for the future of the Cleveland Chamber Choir. With his artistic leadership, CCC is well-positioned to embark on a new era of artistic excellence, community engagement, and musical innovation.”

Ristow is also Director of Vocal Ensembles and Associate Professor of Conducting at Oberlin College & Conservatory. He previously held similar positions at the DePauw University School of Music and the Rochester Institute of Technology. For seventeen years, he taught on the choral faculty of the Interlochen Arts Camp.  He has sung professionally with Quire Cleveland, Cleveland Chamber Choir, Mercury Baroque and the Houston Chamber Choir.
​
“With the launch of our ninth season, it is wonderful and inspiring to have Greg at our artistic helm,” remarked Vandergriff. “He is an incredibly dedicated and accomplished musician, teacher, conductor and leader. He offers an exciting vision of how CCC can enhance and improve the ways we connect with our audiences. There is amazing music in CCC’s future, and I hope everyone in our community will join us!”
​
Ristow is active internationally as a teacher of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a method of music education that teaches music through movement. He holds degrees from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the Eastman School of Music.
“I am honored to have this chance to work with Cleveland Chamber Choir and help shape its future,” Ristow said. “I believe choral singing has the power to heal hearts and create communities, and the opportunity to do this on such a high level with CCC is, for me, a dream.”