Heralded as “luxurious, lush, and verdant” (New York Classical Review), and “breathtakingly beautiful” (Arts ATL), Kinnara is one of America’s premier professional chamber choirs. Under the direction of J.D. Burnett, who also serves as Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas at Austin, the ensemble performs a wide variety of standard choral repertoire from all eras. Lauded as “a jewel that combines appealing, varied programming with sterling musical qualities and direct, memorable artistic communication.” (Choral Journal), Kinnara’s debut album, Provenance, is distributed internationally by Naxos Records. Drawing texts from famous Georgian civil rights activists, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Alice Walker, John Lewis, Jimmy Carter, and Stacey Abrams (including the first ever choral setting of her now famous “non-concession speech”), Kinnara commissioned its first major work from composer Heather Gilligan in 2020. Southern Dissonance: Portraits of a New South compactly and impactfully comments on the social issues facing the current and future America. The work premiered in January 2022 in Atlanta in a performance described by ArtsATL as “clear and lovely” and sung “with ear-catching directness”. Grounded in the belief that communal singing is inherently connective for singers and listeners, Kinnara crafts exemplary musical experiences that speak to the modern soul and creates space for professional ensemble work in America.