The Los Angeles Master Chorale is one of the top choirs on the U.S. West Coast, renowned not only for its performances but also for concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. The chorale has commissioned and given premieres of numerous contemporary choral works.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale was formed in 1964 by Roger Wagner, who remained as the chief conductor until 1986 while also conducting his own internationally successful Roger Wagner Chorale. He created the choir as a resident ensemble of the Music Center of Los Angeles County, and the Chorale performed there at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion until it moved to the new Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003. Wagner was succeeded by John Currie (1986-1991), Paul Salamunovich (1991-2001), and Grant Gershon, whose contract has been extended through 2025. These conductors had assistance from a distinguished roster of guests, including Robert Shaw, Margaret Hillis, and Helmuth Rilling. In addition to performing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Chorale served as the chorus for the Los Angeles Opera in its early years. The Los Angeles Master Chorale performs some ten concerts annually, plus offering collaborations with its numerous partners. The group has hosted Morton Lauridsen, Shawn Kirchner, and Eric Whitacre as composers-in-residence. It has also developed a performance piece, Lagrime di San Pietro, featuring music by Orlando di Lassus and directed on stage by Peter Sellars. The piece has been performed internationally at such venues as the Barbican in London, the Cité de la Musique in Paris, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale has a recording catalog stretching well back into the LP era. In digital media, it has recorded for Decca, Nonesuch, and Immergent, among other labels. The Chorale moved to Signum Classics in 2020 for the album Eric Whitacre: The Sacred Veil. ~ James Manheim, Rovi