Our Vision: A world that explores the human
experience through musical storytelling

Upcoming Performances

Embrace the magic of the holidays with Peninsula Cantare’s annual “Deck the Halls” concert! The chorus is joined by a professional orchestra for a concert of carols and holiday favorites, as well as contemporary arrangements for choir, orchestra, and percussion. This concert features the eloquent Cantata 191 by Johann Sebastian Bach, plus we’ll have our annual carol sing-along, and a chance for one of our audience members to conduct. Bring the whole family and join us in celebrating the best time of the year!

  • 20 December 2025

  • 7:30 PM

  • First United Methodist Church: 625 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Embrace the magic of the holidays with Peninsula Cantare’s annual “Deck the Halls” concert! The chorus is joined by a professional orchestra for a concert of carols and holiday favorites, as well as contemporary arrangements for choir, orchestra, and percussion. This concert features the eloquent Cantata 191 by Johann Sebastian Bach, plus we’ll have our annual carol sing-along, and a chance for one of our audience members to conduct. Bring the whole family and join us in celebrating the best time of the year!

Support the
Community

Peninsula Cantare relies on support from individuals, businesses, and community partners to achieve our mission — to create a better world through music.

Your investment, no matter how large or small, will help Peninsula Cantare continue to make a profound difference in our community, while ensuring that the choral arts continue to thrive in Silicon Valley and around the globe.

About the Choir

Peninsula Cantare is a community chorus based in Palo Alto, California under the direction of Jeffrey Benson. The choir is dedicated to inspiring audiences and creating a better world through music. As an organization, Peninsula Cantare is deeply committed to performing great choral masterpieces for chorus and orchestra and to exploring new music by historically underrepresented composers.

Meet the Director

Dr. Jeffrey Benson is Artistic Director of Peninsula Cantare and Director of Choral Activities at San José State University. The Washington Post hails his choirs for singing “with an exquisite blend, subtlety of phrasing, confident musicianship and fully supported tone.”

Watch our recent performances on YouTube

Ha Rese Re Bina by Mbuso Ndluvo

Seeking Light by Brandon Williams

Bright Morning Stars, arr. Shawn Kirchner