Third Practice is a professional chamber vocal ensemble that seeks to bring the beauty of the human voice to new and broader audiences. Its mission is to bridge the gap between traditional classical and contemporary music through thoughtful and adventurous programming that explores the close connections between today's music and the music of the past. Third Practice is named after a term for the late style of composer Claudio Monteverdi, in which he is said to have fused elements of the older "first practice" with the contemporary "second practice," creating a rich new musical language.

Since its founding in 2012, Third Practice has established itself as a leading voice for contemporary vocal music, commissioning new works by Jasmine Barnes, Tawnie Olson, Joshua Bornfield, Allison Clendaniel and James Young. Their collaboration with Great Noise Ensemble and the Children's Chorus of Washington in Louis Andriessen's tour-de-force oratorio, La Commedia, won plaudits from the press, commending their "evocative heavy lifting" (Anne Midgette, The Washington Post) and "first-rate" musicality (Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, The New York Times). Further collaborations have included the Washington Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble (for the Richmond, Virginia premiere of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610!), Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Three Notch’d Road, City Choir of Washington and Handel Choir of Baltimore. Third Practice has performed on the music series at Dumbarton Oaks, the National Gallery of Art, UMBC’s Livewire Festival for New Music, the Bach-Handel Festival of Winchester, Mount St. Mary's University, the Baltimore War Memorial and the Castleton Festival, and was Ensemble in Residence at St. David’s Church in Baltimore for the 2020-22 seasons.

The musicians of Third Practice represent some of the finest vocal talent in the greater Washington area. Each concert draws upon an extensive roster of professional singers, varying in size according to the needs of the repertoire. Concerts seek to equip listeners with the tools necessary to engage with new works through informed programming and in-concert discussion. This approach endeavors to illuminate the inner workings of the music while tearing down barriers that too frequently discourage a first-time listening experience. In creating a welcoming performance space for listeners to experience new music, Third Practice seeks to build a larger audience for contemporary vocal music in Washington and beyond.

musicians for 2025-2026 season

Joshua Bornfield, tenor
Opal Clyburn-Miller, tenor
Katelyn Grace Jackson, soprano
Patrick Kilbride, tenor
Shauna Kreidler Michels, soprano
Daryl Yoder, bass