World Voices was a vocal ensemble based in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, conducted by Dr. Karle Erickson, Artistic Director.
The ensemble was founded in 1996 as "Karle Erickson’s Metropolitan Chorale",[1] but changed its name to World Voices within one season.
Membership in the chorale has ranged from about 25 to 40 vocalists over its 13 years of existence.
The ensemble routinely collaborates with instrumentalists associated with the music from a specific culture.
Among the artists World Voices has collaborated with are:[1] World Voices commissioned several original works, including “Wo Ayi Me A Ma” by Sowah Mensah in March 2001, “Of This Turtle Isle” by Brent Michael Davids in 2002, “Si Ji” by Chinese composer Zhou Long in March 2005, and "Medicine Woman" by Janika Vandervelde in 2006 with Cochise Anderson playing Native American flutes and percussion.