Boston Vocal Artists was created in 1999 by artistic director and pianist Steven Morris to provide performing opportunities for solo singers in his coaching studio.  First BVA performances were recitals of opera arias and ensembles, art songs and semi-staged one-act operas. A world premiere of Crime and Punishment by Jeremy Conley was a highlight, as well as concerts of American songbook standards. Personnel and expertise expanded over the years to include some of Boston’s finest young singers and collaborative leadership with conductor Melinda O’Neal.
 
In 2003 Steven Morris and Melinda O’Neal crafted the BVA Sonique concept and presented our inaugural concert with professional singers: Bon Anniversaire, Berlioz! in honor of his birth’s bicentennial. We performed little known choruses and solos by this incredibly facile and imaginative French composer, along with solo and ensemble repertoire by Poulenc, Milhaud, Duparc and Saint-Saëns. This treasure trove of repertory inspired a truly gratifying journey from planning to performance. 

In 2004 we approached the astonishing chamber music repertoire of well known American and British 20th-century composers, including Samuel Barber’s Reincarnations, William Schuman’s Carols of Death, Britten’s Five Flower Songs. Solo and small ensemble music included works by Charles Ives, Aaron Copland, Roger Quilter, Peter Warlock and of special note, Britten’s Canticle IV: Journey of the Magi.