The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay performs under the baton of director Dr. James Bass and is made up of 110 auditioned, volunteer singers. The Chorale started in 1979 and since then, has continually worked to advance the choral arts in Florida through its concerts and by frequently commissioning new works from some of America’s finest contemporary choral composers including Eri Whitacre, Libby Larsen, Eleanor Daley and Stephan Paulus.

In 1989, the chorus became the Principal Chorus of The Florida Orchestra and is frequently featured in its masterworks series. In the fall, the Chorale sponsors a “Festival of Voices” workshop which brings high school singers from across the state to sing with the Chorale and learn from Dr. Bass.