The Esoterics, a vocal ensemble based in Seattle, Washington, was founded in 1992 by director Eric Banks for his Master's and Doctoral recitals in Choral Studies at the University of Washington. The group made its debut performance in June 1993 at the newly established Seattle Art Museum. Over the next three decades, the Esoterics performed over 300 pieces, focusing on contemporary a cappella choral settings of poetry, philosophy, and spiritual writings. In 2005, they inaugurated the annual Polyphonos choral composition competition, awarding premiere commissions to national, international, and young composers under 30 years of age. The Esoterics received notable recognition in the 2000s with an ASCAP award and Chorus America's Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music award. Notable albums include Antiphonia (Masterpieces for Double Chorus) (1999), Elementia (2001), and Aetheria: Music of the Sky, Air, and Atmosphere (2015).
