Elaine Hagenberg is celebrated as one of today’s leading choral composers, with music that “soars with eloquence and ingenuity” (ACDA Choral Journal). Renowned for her ability to seamlessly weave lush harmonic landscapes, captivating melodies, and evocative piano and orchestral accompaniments, she offers a unique blend of artistic sophistication and universal appeal—creating music that resonates with conductors, performers, and audiences alike.

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With notable performances across the Americas, Europe, Australia, and Asia, her works are frequently featured at regional symposiums, national American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conferences, All-State festivals, as well as performance venues including the esteemed Carnegie Hall in New York, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, the Vatican in Rome, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and upcoming at Église de St-Sulpice in Paris.

 

Elaine’s award-winning compositional style is profoundly influenced by her connection to nature, beauty, and spiritual reflection. Drawing inspiration from the vivid imagery and themes found in poetry, she crafts intricate musical textures that enrich her narratives and “pull at one’s heartstrings” (NY Concert Review), creating immersive experiences that connect listeners to both the complexity and awe of the natural world and the profound depths of shared human emotion. This is exemplified in her celebrated composition I Am the Wind, which earned first place in the American Choral Directors Association Brock Prize for Professional Composers.

 

One of her most notable works, Illuminare, composed for chorus and orchestra, has garnered international acclaim for its emotive resonance and seamless integration of choral textures with orchestra. This celebrated work exemplifies Elaine’s “inspiring and uplifting… soaring and cinematic” compositional voice (Chicago Tribune). Drawing on sacred Latin, Greek, and English texts, Illuminare narrates a journey from beauty and goodness, disrupted by darkness and confusion—culminating in the triumphant return of Light.

 

In addition to composing full-time, Elaine is a sought-after guest artist and clinician, known for fostering meaningful connections through music. Her recent and upcoming residencies and speaking engagements include ACDA conferences, Carnegie Hall Festivals, the Incanto Mediterraneo International Choral Festival in Milazzo in Italy, the Vox Anima London Choral Festival, and the Galway Choral Festival in Ireland.

 

When she is not composing, Elaine enjoys spending time with her family and watching her four children pursue their passions. Driven by a natural curiosity for learning new things, she finds joy in traveling both in the United States and exploring historical cities in Europe. Her creative pursuits include landscape painting, photography, creating latte art, playing chess, gardening, and nurturing her collection of orchids into bloom. She also enjoys reading poetry, biographies of creative artists, historical fiction, and works that explore diverse cultures—all of which inspire her artistry and deepen her appreciation for beauty and storytelling.