The Heart of Los Angeles campus will partner with Los Angeles Children’s Chorus for the first time. (photo courtesy of LACC)

The Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and Heart of Los Angeles have announced a significant partnership to bring the choir’s world-class choral music education program to the HOLA campus in Lafayette Park, reaching underserved youth in Central and South Central Los Angeles.

This marks the first time these two highly regarded organizations have collaborated under LACC artistic director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz’s leadership, as well as the first time LACC has expanded outside of its Pasadena home base and the first time HOLA has offered a comprehensive program providing access to the choral arts.

Auditions for LACC @ HOLA will be held on Jan. 27 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at HOLA Arts and Recreation Center in Lafayette Park, located at 615 South La Fayette Park Place

“Los Angeles Children’s Chorus is thrilled to partner with HOLA to expand its program in such a meaningful and impactful way,” Malvar-Ruiz said. “Extending LACC’s reach to HOLA’s constituents to provide access to the transformational power of choral music reflects LACC’s deep commitment to serving students who represent richly diverse racial, economic, and cultural backgrounds. HOLA, with its stellar reputation for serving Central and South Central L.A. with meaningful programs and its deep roots there, is the perfect partner. This is the first of many such collaborations planned for LACC. LACC is expanding throughout the Los Angeles region in order to provide children access to LACC’s program in their own communities. We want to make it convenient for children – and their families – to participate in LACC’s transformative program right where they live.”

 “When we learned that Los Angeles Children’s Chorus was interested in expanding to our beloved Westlake neighborhood, we knew we wanted to see HOLA kids participate,” HOLA’s CEO Tony Brown said. “Having LACC find their home at our Arts & Recreation Center is a dream scenario. We welcome LACC and are proud to add its esteemed choral music education program to our center’s offerings.”

The program, offered at no cost to HOLA participants, launches with two LACC entry-level ensembles for children ages 8 to 11 – Preparatory Choir and Apprentice Choir – with the goal to add advanced ensembles in future years based on demand as children progress through LACC’s tiered multi-choir program. LACC’s current music staff will direct the choirs and also provide musicianship training and voice lessons to participating choristers. Choir rehearsals will be held on Saturday mornings with the inaugural 12-week session beginning on Feb. 3.

For information and to sign up for an audition, visit lachildrenschorus.org or call (626)793-4231.