The Crossing, a Philadelphia-based professional chamber choir dedicated to new music and led by director of choral organizations at the Bienen School of Music Donald Nally, has been awarded the 2015 Margaret Hillis Award from Chorus America – the highest award in choral music in the United States.

Presented to a professional chorus once every three years, the Margaret Hillis Award recognizes choruses that demonstrate artistic excellence, a strong organizational structure, and a commitment to outreach, education, and/or culturally diverse activities. The award honors the memory of Margaret Hillis, founder of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and former director of choral organizations at the Bienen School of Music.

Although a chorus may receive the Margaret Hillis Award only once, the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia was recognized with the award in 2002 under Donald Nally’s artistic leadership, making Nally the only conductor to win the Margaret Hillis Award twice.

“It is truly humbling to be recognized twice, with two different ensembles, by our colleagues and is a testament to the type of artist with which I’ve had the privilege to work for many years,” said Donald Nally. “It is the singers who make up the choirs; they are the true recipients.”

“We are so grateful that choral music has risen to a place in this country that a relatively new ensemble that sings only contemporary music and follows a fairly non-conventional business model would be singled out as at the top of the field,” Nally added.

Since its formation in 2005, The Crossing has presented over forty world premieres and received numerous awards, including two ASCAP Awards for Adventuresome Programming (2009 and 2011), the Dale Warland Singers Commissioning Award (2013), and the Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal (presented to conductor Donald Nally in 2012). The Crossing has been invited to perform for Chorus America's national conferences in Philadelphia (2009) and at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. (2014).

“To hold an award named for Margaret Hillis – one of my predecessors on the faculty of the Bienen School of Music – is a double gift: it celebrates our ensemble in Philadelphia while making the link to Northwestern’s esteemed program I am so fortunate to lead,” said Donald Nally, who joined the Bienen School faculty in fall 2012.

The Margaret Hillis Award will be presented June 18 at the national conference of Chorus America in Boston.