Today we’d like to introduce you to Michaela Cruse.
Michaela , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
CHARIS Chorus St. Louis (CHARIS for short) is a multi-generational treble chorus that uplifts women and LGBTQIA+ people, advocates for social justice, and nurtures authenticity and joy through musical artistry and vibrant community. CHARIS was formed in 1993 as a predominantly lesbian chorus open to all women. The chorus has evolved considerably over our 33 year history. Singing memberships are now open to women and individuals with marginalized gender identities, including transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people who sing in the treble (soprano and alto) range. Non-singing memberships are open to all people. We are a non-audition chorus, and we currently have over 100 singing members. Our Artistic Director is Michaela Cruse (she/they). Outside of CHARIS, Michaela teachers private voice, piano, ukelele, and conducting lessons, and she has previously worked as a middle school music teacher,
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like all non-profit organizations, CHARIS has encountered challenges in its 33 year history, including financial struggles in earlier years. We do have generous grantors and donors, and lately we have grown rapidly which results in larger concert audiences. CHARIS’ biggest challenge was probably navigating COVID through online rehearsals and performances, in which singers recorded themselves asynchronously with an accompaniment track and our Artistic Director knitted them together into an online concert.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Michaela Cruse first joined CHARIS as an Alto 1 in spring 2018, encouraged by her college professor, Stuart Chapman Hill—who, coincidentally, was CHARIS’s Artistic Director at the time. “CHARIS immediately became a space where I felt belonging and safety,” Michaela reminisces, “a place where I felt community in a way I had never experienced before.”
With Stuart’s encouragement, Michaela took on an ever-growing number of roles—choreographer, conducting fellow, assistant artistic director—never expecting to one day stand at the podium full time. “I learned a million and twelve lessons along the way,” she says. “But I never actually thought I’d be stepping into Stuart’s shoes.”
That is exactly what happened in August, 2024, when Stuart left St. Louis for Michigan and Michaela became CHARIS’ Interim Artistic Director. She realized then that, “Directing CHARIS is my life’s wildest dream.” In Fall, 2024, she led CHARIS in “Lifting As We Climb!”, which explored the incredible power of music to drive social change.” That was followed by “Wild” in Spring, 2025, which brought together music, nature, and activism in a way that felt both urgent and deeply personal.
CHARIS had no doubt that Michaela was meant to be our permanent Artistic Director, the title she took on in August, 2025. That Fall, CHARIS presented the celebratory “Iridescent: A Colorful Tribute to Disco.” In Spring, 2026, CHARIS performed “Atlas of the Heart,” which, in Michaela’s words, “traced a path through love, heartbreak, rage, perseverance, and bad-assery.” CHARIS is now preparing to launch our 34th season, presenting “Camp CHARIS,” in which we will explore all things camp-related and campy!
Michaela speaks for many singers when she says, “This chorus was the first place I ever felt truly seen and accepted for who I am—not just liked for whoever I was pretending to be.” That sense of deep, interwoven connection is at the heart of her approach as Artistic Director. She starts every rehearsal with a quiet, calming meditation allowing singers to center themselves on the shared experience of making music together. “CHARIS has never been about a single person making all the decisions from the podium,” she says. “We intentionally step away from that traditional power dynamic to make sure every singer is cared for. I hope more choirs move in this direction—where love is at the core, and leadership is about nurturing something larger than yourself.”
In a world where so many marginalized communities are under attack, Michaela believes that awe and reverence—especially for each other—is its own form of resistance. “We are constantly told that trans people don’t exist, that queer love isn’t real, that Black lives don’t matter,” she says. “This choir is a space where everything that is authentically you is accepted, encouraged, and celebrated. That is more crucial now than ever.”
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
CHARIS is Michaela’s “happy place,” as it is for many singers. No matter how hectic or overwhelming life is, Tuesday night rehearsals offer a refuge where all can relax knowing they are accepted and loved as they are. Michaela and the singers and our accompanist extraordinaire Evee Spiker share a passion for expressing a vision of social justice through music.
Pricing:
- Concert fees are $75/semester or $125 for an entire year (payable in installments, scholarships available)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.CHARISchorus.org
- Instagram: @charischorus
- Facebook: CHARISchorus
- Youtube: @charischorus
- Other: TikTok: @charis_chorus
