Radcliffe Choral Society

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Radcliffe Choral Society (RCS) is a 60-voice treble choir at Harvard University. Founded in 1899 by Elizabeth Cary Agassiz, it is one of the oldest women’s choirs in the United States and the oldest Radcliffe organization. It is part of the Harvard Choruses along with the Harvard Glee Club and the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, all led by Harvard Director of Choral Activities Andrew Clark.

Current leaders are President Ellie Powell (Class of 2025), Chief Conductor Hana Cai, and Manager Anika Christensen (Class of 2026). RCS tours the country every year and travels internationally about every four years. Rehearsals take place in Holden Chapel, and most concerts are held in Sanders Theatre.

Key moments in its history include a long-running collaboration with the Harvard Glee Club and the Boston Symphony Orchestra beginning in 1913, and a 1965 Grammy nomination for Mozart’s Requiem. The group has undertaken numerous international tours, including Africa in 2004, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1999. In 2007, RCS performed at the inauguration of Harvard’s first female president, Drew Gilpin Faust. In 2018, the choir updated its bylaws to be gender-neutral while staying true to its traditions.

Cliffe Notes, founded in 1991, is the a cappella subset of RCS and performs jazz, folk, and pop. The choir has continued active collaboration, including a 2019 joint tour with the Harvard Glee Club to Texas and the Harvard-Yale Football Concert in 2019 with Yale Glee Club.