"The composers who have had the fortune of working and collaborating closely with this group have been truly lucky. One of the best things that can happen to a composer is precisely to be able to rehearse with excellent interpreters committed to the music of our time. This is the case of the Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, whose quality, professionalism and discipline are exemplary.
My collaboration with the ensemble--which began when they commissioned my Missa--allowed me to live a human and musical experience of the first order. I am deeply grateful to them and to their director, Carmen Téllez. To make music with them is to inhabit a world ruled by musical devotion."
Mario Lavista (1996)
"The Contemporary Vocal Ensemble of Indiana University is a musical treasure. Dedicated to the performance of new and vital music, it accepts difficult challenges with enthusiasm and great technical proficiency. Its director, Carmen Téllez is an inspired and deeply thoughtful musician."
John Eaton (1996)
"Carmen Téllez conducts with precision, clarity, and sensitivity informed by deep knowledge. She understands how music moves and the language of it. Carmen Tellez knows the text, the instruments, the voice, and how they come together in a musical work. She is a great conductor, an international treasure. Audiences are lucky that she chooses to direct ensembles with the special mission of performing music of this century, our time, and tomorrow.
The Contemporary Vocal Ensemble is a collection of fine singers who understand that music did not begin with Bach, nor end with Wagner. They bring to bear the fine training of a great school, and a love of the music of our time, and dedication to it that shows in every performance. Contemporary composers, myself included, are fortunate to have such champions."
Cary Boyce (1996)
CVE & Dr. Téllez Reviewed
"The singing was at all times astonishingly clear and keyed to the emotions."
Peter Jacobi: The Herald Times, Bloomington, IN
"In spite of her passionate temperament, conductor Téllez directs with sobriety and utmost precision. Moreover, she shares with her audience the subtlest of nuances."
Bernard Fougeres, Guayaquil, Ecuador
"A conductor with quality and drive."
Montsalvat Music Magazine, Barcelona
"The professionalism of the conductor was evident from the first note by the chorus."
Por Dentro, San Juan
"Her intelligence, study, passion and musicality were communicated powerfully to the large performing forces. Her vision of the whole and attention to detail allowed the long oratorio Elijah to flow as if it had fleeting wings. In the last years, I can remember very few musical evenings as intense as this one."
Valley News, Hanover
"Carmen Téllez caught the spirit of the work with great musicality. She offers a vital version, with a tight interpretive pulse."
Ritmo, Madrid
