Distinguished Concerts International - New York

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E. Whitacre

T. Tadmor

Saturday, April 17, 2010
2:00 pm

STERN AUDITORIUM/PERELMAN STAGE, CARNEGIE HALL

the city & the sea - The Music of Eric Whitacre meets the poetry of ee cummings

Eric Whitacre, Guest Conductor

Tali Tadmor, Accompanist

Repertoire: With a Lily in Your Hand, What If... (From Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings), Lux Aurumque, A Boy and a Girl, Five Hebrew Love Songs, Little Birds, Water Night, the city and the sea (World Premiere), Animal Crackers Vol. I and II, Cloudburst, Seal Lullaby, Sleep

Featuring Distinguished Concert Singers International:
Analy High School Honor Choir (CA), Biola University Chorale (CA), Cinco Ranch High School Choir (TX), Dithyrambic Singers (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Orange High School Concert Choir and Chamber Singers (CA), Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Festival Singers (MI), Shawnee Mission West High School Chorale (KS), Westfield State College Chorale (MA) 

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Ensemble bios

Analy High School Honor Choir (CA)

The Analy High School Honor Choir is a well-respected 60-voice ensemble known throughout Northern California. The group has had the honor of performing twice with Chanticleer and opening for Ladysmith Black Mambazo in concert. Other notable performances have been with The Persuasions, The Edlos, and Solstice. The entire group is excited to share their love of singing and performing everywhere they travel, and thrilled to have the honor of singing under the baton of Eric Whitacre.

Andrew DelMonte has been the choir director at Analy High School in Sebastopol, California, since 1997. He holds a Masters of Music from Boston University and a Bachelors of Music from Arizona State University. He resides in Sonoma County with his wife Kristen and their three children, Emma, Ethan, and Elia. In addition to teaching at Analy High School, Andrew also teaches vocal jazz at Santa Rosa Junior College, writes and arranges for many local ensembles, and performs as a soloist throughout the North Bay Area.

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Biola University Chorale (CA)

The Biola University Chorale is comprised of 50 voices from various disciplines on campus. The Chorale participates annually in local festivals, and each spring they join forces with the Biola Symphony Orchestra for a Major Works choral-orchestral concert. The Chorale regularly tours the United States and abroad. In addition to a yearly season of many Biola-related concerts, the Chorale also performs at area churches. The choir has also been seen on the Tonight Show, with Jay Leno, performing the music of the movie the Passion of the Christ. In the fall of 2009 they performed the music from the Lion King with Broadway star Alton White at Disney's inaugural D23 convention.

Shawna Cross Stewart is the Director of Choral Activities at Biola University in La Mirada, CA, where she conducts the Biola University Chorale and Vocal Jazz Ensemble. As associate professor, she also teaches courses in conducting, choral literature and choral methods. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music with her Master of Music in Choral Music, Ms. Stewart has held teaching/conducting positions at colleges in Arkansas and North Dakota, area churches and is the owner of and teacher at Children's Music Academy in Whittier, CA. She frequently serves as a clinician and adjudicator for festivals and honor choirs and has served on the CA ACDA board for two terms.

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Cinco Ranch High School Choir (TX)

The Cinco Ranch High School Choir program consists of 240 students in five traditional choirs and two small vocal ensembles, one mixed and one treble. The students in the small ensembles are also members of a traditional choir class. Choirs at CRHS have earned numerous Sweepstakes, Best in Class and Most Outstanding trophies in contests throughout the Southwest. The Chorale performed at the University of Houston Moores School of Music High School Choir Invitational in 2005 and 2007, the Houston Baptist University Invitational Concert in 2007, and the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music Longhorn Invitational Choir Festival in 2008. In February 2008, the Chorale performed as an honor choir at the Texas Music Educators Association.

Dorothy Wilson has been involved in music education pre-kindergarten through high school for 23 years. She has taught choral music in Katy Independent School District for 16 years, and is in her eighth year as Director of Choirs at Cinco Ranch High School. Mrs. Wilson is a graduate of Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Master of Education in Music. She has served as Director of Children's Choirs at Pollard United Methodist Church in Tyler, Texas and as Youth Choir Director at St. Peter's United Methodist Church in Katy, Texas. Her performance background includes opera, oratorio, and musical theater.

Eric West is the Assistant Director of Choirs at Cinco Ranch High School, a position he has held since 2007. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he graduated with honors from Bowling Green State University where he earned his Bachelor of Music. Mr. West has studied voice with Douglas Ahlstedt and David Okerlund, and is sought after as a classical and contemporary tenor soloist. He also has a very extensive background in theater, having performed in over two dozen productions over the last decade with the Pittsburgh Musical Theater and several regional and educational theater companies. He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Associaiton, Texas Choral Directors Association, American Choral Directors Association and Phi Eta Sigma.

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Dithyrambic Singers (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Founded in 2005, the Dithyrambic Singers is one of the leading choral ensembles in Malaysia. Displaying an exceptional array of voice qualities, the Dithyrambic Singers' artistic excellence is recognized through their participation in numerous international competitions and performances, including the 2008 Busan Choral Festival & Competition in South Korea (Grand Prix Champion), 2007 1st Asian Choir Games held in Indonesia (Musica Contemporanea Category Champion) and Special Jury Award at the 21st Century International Choral Festival, Oriental Concentus in China. The choir has appeared with the Malaysian National Symphony Orchestra and also performed at the Dewan Philharmonic Petronas. International invitations include performances in Hong Kong, Singapore and Brunei.

Ian Lim Kean Seng, director, received his Bachelor in Music from the University of North Texas and Masters in Music from Southeastern Louisiana University. Since returning from the United States, Ian has devoted his time to teaching voice and choir. He is presently the Choir Director of Dithyrambic Singers and the UCSI University Concert Choir. Ian frequent adjudicates singing and choral competitions in Malaysia and is in demand as a choral clinician. He has conducted master classes for the Penang State Symphony Choir, Young KL Singers and the Macau Education Ministry. He had worked closely with the Lyric Opera of Malaysia and was the Chorus Director for their productions of "Tosca" and "The Merry Widow." Ian was also the Choral Director for the Malaysian National Symphony Orchestra's performance of Beethoven's Symphony No.9

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Orange High School Concert Choir and Chamber Singers (CA)

The Orange High School Concert Choir and Chamber Singers have completed seven tours of Europe: 1985,1988,1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. Since 1982, under the direction of Michael Short, they have been selected to be a featured choir for special performances such as the "Candlelight Procession" at Disneyland in California. They perform regularly for the Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California. The Chamber Singers have performed in concert with Shania Twain (2004) and Josh Groban (2005). They are also featured in the extra's section on his "Live at the Greek" DVD (2006) and Kenny Loggins (2007) on his summer tour.

Michael Short received his Bachelor's degree from Chapman College in Orange, California, (1979) and his Master's degree in Choral Conducting from California State University in Fullerton, California (1988). Mr. Short has been the Director of Choral Activities at Orange High School since 1982. He holds a similar position at Santiago Canyon College where he is the founder and Musical Director of the Orange Community Master Chorale. He is the Director of Music at First United Methodist Church of Orange. In 2002, Mr. Short received the prestigious "Bravo" award from the Los Angeles Music Center for excellence in music education.

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Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Festival Singers (MI)

The Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Festival Singers is an elite vocal ensemble comprised of students in grades 10-12 at Plymouth, Canton, and Salem High Schools in Canton, Michigan. The P-CEP Festival Singers have performed throughout the state of Michigan as well as in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Toronto, Canada. They presented Vivaldi's Gloria, Rutter's Magnificat, and Beethoven's Mass in C at Carnegie Hall in 2004. The P-CEP Festival Singers frequently perform and enjoy the works of John Rutter, Moses Hogan, John Tavener, and of course Eric Whitacre.

Jennifer L. Kopp has been Director of Choirs at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park for the past ten years. During her tenure the PCEP Choirs have performed throughout the Midwest including the Michigan Governor's Mansion, Michigan Music Conference and Carnegie Hall. In addition, the PCEP Choirs have appeared on NBC and PBS television. Mrs. Kopp has served as the Musical Director for PCEP's Park Players and PCEP's Second Stage Players, is a founding member of The Len Riccinto Singers, and has been a member of the Plymouth Oratorio Society. 

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Shawnee Mission West Chorale (KS)

The Shawnee Mission West Chorale is a select ensemble open by audition to sophomores, juniors, and seniors devoted to musical and artistic excellence and leadership. The choir performs at least four home concerts each year with some additional performances throughout the Kansas City Community and area colleges. Chorale members have demonstrated their talent and leadership ability through success in Regional and State Solo & Ensemble Festivals, selection to District and State Honor Choirs, and as recipients of numerous university vocal scholarships. The Chorale has consistently received superior ratings at the Kansas State Large Group Festival.

Laura VanLeeuwen is in her eleventh year as Director of Choral Activities for Shawnee Mission West High School. Prior to West, she spent one year as an adjunct faculty member at Wichita State University. Her choirs have performed across the country in various cities: Chicago, Orlando, Anaheim, and a NYC appearance in Carnegie Hall in 2006. She holds four music degrees in music education, vocal performance, and choral conducting from Wichita State University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Laura is an active member in the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Educators National Conference and their state organizations. She conducts four choirs at Shawnee Mission West High School.

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Westfield State College Chorale (MA)

The Chorale, from Westfield, Massachusetts, is the select mixed choir of the highly regarded Westfield State College Department of Music. The Chorale, conducted by Theodore C. Davidovich, has performed, by invitation, internationally in Vienna as well as at numerous state and regional conferences of MENC and ACDA. Highly acclaimed for its artistic and varied performances the Chorale has sung in several Carnegie Hall concerts conducted by, amongst others, John Rutter, Jonathan Willcocks, Jonathan Griffith and, in June 2003, Theodore Davidovich.

Theodore C. Davidovich is completing his thirty-first year as Director of Choral Music at Westfield State College in Westfield Massachusetts. He earned his D.M.A. from Stanford University and holds additional degrees from San Jose State and the New England Conservatory of Music. His Westfield State Choral Ensembles have performed throughout Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. They have appeared numerous times, by audition, at Regional and State Conferences of MENC and ACDA, and more than ten times, since 1993, at Carnegie Hall. In June 2003 Davidovich made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut leading his Westfield State ensembles in a highly acclaimed performance of the Te Deum by M.A. Charpentier.

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What People Said...

From Hometownlife.com: Plymouth-Canton's 'Chambrigals' do Carnegie by Allen Eggen

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A magical thing happened last week, and I was fortunate to be part of it.

Through the dedication and determination of the choir directors at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, 46 young people had the opportunity to sing on the most renowned stage in the land, under the direction of a true musical genius of our generation.

I was blown away by [Eric Whitacre]'s presence and ability to engage his performers, providing visual analogies to help them understand, deeply, the emotion and dynamic they were to convey in the music.

Whitacre's charm played over the audience as he introduced each of his selections. The music floated out and filled the Isaac Stern Auditorium with drama and humor and love

This is a story our kids will tell their kids, and maybe a few of them will be in the audience when the story gets told again.

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Julie Sharma

My daughter just participated in your April 17 concert with Eric Whitacre. Fantastic!!!

My husband and I were able to attend the concert (first time to NYC) and were awed by Mr Whitacre. What a gift to musical young people everywhere. I know that my daughter will never forget each and every moment spent rehearsing and then performing the amazing music composed and directed by him. The concert was a very powerful reminder of the positive influence music has on all of us.

Again, my sincere appreciation for this opportunity that you made available not only to my daughter but to all of the youth that you touch.

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