Berkshire Music School and Berkshire Children’s Chorus Announce Merger

Berkshire Music School name to continue; Chelsea Beatty named Artistic Director of Berkshire Children’s Chorus

PITTSFIELD, MA - Berkshire Music School, founded in 1941 by Winnie Davis Crane, and Berkshire Children’s Chorus, founded in 1990 by Nancy Loder, will merge into a single nonprofit organization operating under the Berkshire Music School name. As part of the merger, Berkshire Children’s Chorus will continue as a program of Berkshire Music School, with Chelsea Beatty, a member of the school’s vocal faculty, named Artistic Director of the Chorus.

The partnership brings together two longstanding Berkshire County music organizations with a shared commitment to accessible, high-quality music education. By merging Berkshire Children’s Chorus with Berkshire Music School’s broader network of faculty, programs, and locations, the partnership will create new opportunities for collaboration, expand access to choral education across the county, and provide singers with a strong connection to the wider Berkshire County musical community.

“The Berkshire Children's Chorus, with its 36 year history, is delighted to merge with the Berkshire Music School,” said Berkshire Children’s Chorus President Scott Shreve. “This will continue the development of a social highway via choral music for children and families throughout the Berkshires.”

“I’m happy and honored to be able to welcome the Berkshire Children’s Chorus to the Berkshire Music School family,” said Berkshire Music School’s Board of Trustees President Lyndon Moors. “This well-established ensemble will perfectly complement our mission to provide quality music education and performance opportunities for students of all ages, as we have done for the past 85 years. I look forward to supporting the work of these singers and hearing them in performance this year.”

“Berkshire Music School is honored to continue the legacy of Berkshire Children’s Chorus, founded by Nancy Loder in 1990, and to ensure this vital community program continues for years to come,” said Berkshire Music School Executive Director Luis Granda. “Our two organizations are a natural fit, sharing a commitment to accessible, high-quality music education across Berkshire County. By bringing the Chorus into Berkshire Music School, we have an opportunity to build upon its remarkable history through our network of satellite locations, expanded programmatic opportunities, and the resources and faculty of the Berkshire Music School.”

“I am honored and excited to be joining Berkshire Children’s Chorus and launching a new season,” said Chelsea Beatty, Berkshire Music School voice faculty and incoming Artistic Director. “I look forward to meeting young singers from across Berkshire County, exploring our voices and a wide variety of music together, and working toward performances where we can share what we are learning with our families, friends, and community.”

Beginning this fall, weekly Berkshire Children’s Chorus rehearsals will be offered at three Berkshire Music School locations from September through May: Mondays at the Berkshire Art Center campus in Stockbridge, Wednesdays at the Adams Theater in Adams, and Thursdays at the Berkshire Music School campus in Pittsfield. All rehearsals will take place weekly from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

In an effort to create a seamless transition, the Berkshire Children’s Chorus will retain the existing scholarship and tuition structure, offering a sliding scale tuition designed to increase accessibility to singers ages 8 - 14 throughout Berkshire County.

Registration for fall 2026 closes September 25th.
The first rehearsals begin the week of September 13, with the first two weeks serving as an open enrollment period.

What is open enrollment? Come give the chorus a try, no commitment necessary! The first two rehearsals will provide a chance for children to give it a test run to see if it is something they are interested in pursuing.

To learn more or to register please visit https://www.berkshiremusicschool.org/aboutbcc.

For questions or comments, please email Berkshire Music School Executive Director at LGranda@berkshiremusicschool.org or call 413-442-1411.