Choralprep Recordings was founded in 1996 by Irene
Hilboldt.
Irene grew up in the Washington D.C, area, where she
was active in piano studies, choral singing, recitals, and musicals
throughout her school years. She received her bachelor's degree in
music education from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland,
Ohio. Her Master of Music degree in music education was earned in 1977
at the University of Texas at Austin, where she also studied piano
under Danielle Martin.
As a music educator, Ms. Hilboldt has taught vocal
music in elementary school in both Ohio and Texas. In the Austin area
she maintained a private piano studio for over twenty years while also
pursuing her own private piano study.
As a choral singer, Irene has enthusiastically sung
alto with numerous groups including the Austin Civic Chorus (for ten
years), The New Texas Festival, The Victoria Bach Festival, The Green
Lake Festival (under Sir David Willcocks), and several church choirs.
In this capacity she has performed every work in the CHORALPREP
catalogue under numerous fine conductors.
Ms. Hilboldt first produced practice tapes in 1989 for
the Austin Civic Chorus, as it prepared a concert of Bach's formidable
Mass in B minor. Those recordings, of all eight voice parts, enabled
the chorus to save months of rehearsal time, and culminated in a fine,
polished performance. That initial effort was followed by commissioned
study recordings for many other satisfied ensembles including the
Anchorage Festival of Music, the Midland/Odessa Symphony Chorale, The
New 'I'exas Festival, the chorus of Hope College in Holland, Michigan,
and church choirs in North Carolina, West Virginia, and Texas. In
1996, Ms. Hilboldt founded CHORALPREP Recordings to bring this
valuable resource to a wider group of choral singers and directors.
