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G. Wyers
S. Boulware
D. Bernard
S. Seiden
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Sunday, May 30, 2010
2:00 PM
Memorial Day Weekend
ALICE TULLY HALL, LINCOLN CENTER
Life and Remembrance in Honor of Memorial Day - The Music of Rutter, Thompson and Bizet
Giselle Wyers, DCINY Emerging Conductor
Thompson: Frostiana
Sean Boulware, DCINY Emerging Conductor
Rutter: Requiem
Sherri Seiden, Soprano
Park Avenue Chamber Symphony
David Bernard, Music Director
Bizet: Symphony in C Major
Read about the works and hear audio clips
Featuring Distinguished Concert Singers International
Participating in Frostiana: Ballard High School Concert Choir (WA), Moses Lake High School Chamber Choir (WA), Whitehall High School Concert Choir (PA)
Participating in Requiem: Carmel Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir (CA), Hartnell Community Choir (CA), Menlo Park Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir (CA), The Towne Singers (CA)
read what people said
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Ensemble bios |
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C. Rowley
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Ballard High School Concert Choir (WA)
The Ballard High School Concert Choir is a large mixed performing group composed of intermediate and advanced singers in grades 9-12. Under the direction of Courtney Rowley since the fall of 2007, students sing and perform quality choral literature from a variety of genres, cultures, and styles. There is an emphasis on building musicianship skills through a program of sight reading, music theory, ear training, and vocal technique. Fifty-three members strong, Concert Choir performs at four school concerts and two to three adjudicated festivals throughout the year, where they consistently receive Excellent and Superior ratings.
Courtney Rowley has been Director of Choirs at Ballard High School since 2007. Originally from Michigan, she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance and Choral Music Education from the University of Michigan. Ms. Rowley sang with the University Choir and Chamber Choir, including performances of Handel's Messiah with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the premier of an original work at Carnegie Hall, and an appearance on the 2005 Grammy winning Classical album of the year, William Bolcom's "Songs of Innocence and Experience." Under her direction, the Ballard choirs consistently receive Superior ratings at regional choral festivals.
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Carmel Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir (CA)
Serving as the main worship choir for Carmel Presbyterian Church, the Chancel Choir has participated in services for over 50 years in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The choir is a non-auditioned adult choir that sings a large variety of Christian music both at Carmel Presbyterian Church and the surrounding community. They have made appearances with the Carmel Bach Festival, Monterey Symphony, and various festivals and Christian events around central California. In 2008 they made their Carnegie Hall Debut and are now making their Lincoln Center Debut.
Carmel Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir is directed by Sean Boulware.
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R. McKee Williams
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Hartnell Community Choir (CA)
Hartnell Community Choir is now an independent non-profit organization.
Directed by Robin Mckee Williams, the Choir performs throughout the
Monterey County Area and travels to performances across the U.S. to
places such as Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City.
Hartnell Choir was founded in 1960 by Dr. Vahe Aslanian. He was the
director until 1981, when he retired. He was followed by many directors
over the years: Ron Howard, Lynn Jemison, Linda Keill, Diana Rosett,
Lucik Aprohamian and Kristen Thompson.
Robin McKee Williams, MA, CMVT, is an
active musical director and mezzo-soprano soloist for the Monterey
Peninsula and San Francisco areas. Her training includes the Royal
Conservatory of Music, Stanford University, San Jose State University
and the McClosky Institute of Boston. She is presently pursuing a
doctorate from Boston University. She has been the soloist and alto
section leader at Rockefeller Chapel at The University of Chicago and
performed with Elmer Iseler and the Toronto Symphony and the Toronto
Operetta Theater. She was a regular soloist for the Bing Music Series
at the Stanford Hospital for six years.
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B. Strader
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Menlo Park Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir (CA)
The Chancel Choir, under the direction of Brett Strader, provides leadership in worship at the Menlo Park campus. The choir has taken 3 European tours: in 2001 to Prague, Vienna, Budapest; in 2004 to Edinburgh, York, London; and in 2007 to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Lucerne, and Zurich. It has participated in the Thallander Foundation Festival of Music in Los Angeles. The choir is eager to learn and grow in their musical talent as well as to help others learn and grow spiritually in their Christian faith through the presentation of the Word of God through music.
Brett Strader is Principal Conductor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Silicon Valley, CA, where he leads the 60-voice Chancel Choir and Orchestra. Brett has been music director for several congregations, most notably the Crystal Cathedral and the Hour of Power, where he performed on international television with such diverse artists as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Twila Paris, David Foster, and Sir James Galway. Maestro Strader divides his time among ministry, professional concertizing, and music production. He is Musical Director of the Sun Valley Opera (Idaho), "Sing For America" at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, and Staff Composer of the Bear Valley Music Festival (California).
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D. Holloway
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Moses Lake High School Chamber Choir (WA)
The Chamber Choir at Moses Lake High School is the most advanced
ensemble of the four currently offered. It is a 46 member auditioned
chorus comprised of students in grades 9-12, 32 of which have made the
journey here to perform. The chamber choir performs several times
throughout the year locally and throughout the Northwest. They have
consistently received superior ratings at contests and are the backbone
to the strong choral tradition of excellence that's been established
there.
David Holloway is the Choral Director at Moses Lake
High School where he teaches three concert choirs and a vocal jazz
ensemble. He has been teaching for 12 years, the last seven of which
have been at Moses Lake. David received his Bachelor of Music Education
degree in k-12 general, instrumental and choral music from Central
Washington University. He is happily married to his wife of ten years
Patty and is a father of two boys and a girl; Riley 7, Caden 5 and
Skylar 10 months.
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Park Avenue Chamber Symphony (NY)
The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony is a classical symphony orchestra that serves New York City communities by producing orchestral and chamber music concerts of the highest artistic level. In its performances, PACS features world class artists, such as Carter Brey, Jon Manasse and Whoopi Goldberg, as well as emerging artists from Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music and Mannes, giving its New York City audiences fantastic opportunities to hear the best and the brightest artists in interesting concerts at local venues for reasonable prices.
Additionally, the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony fills a philanthropic role by supporting and celebrating organizations that bring music education to New York City children.
The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony's most recent benefit, "A Winter's Waltz", raised over $100,000 for the Harmony Program-a New York City program that provides music lessons to economically disadvantaged children that is modeled after Venezuela's world-famous model of music education, "El Sistema". The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony established the Juilliard School Pre-College Division Parent's Association Scholarship Fund through a similar benefit concert that raised $90K, and has also raised funds for the Lucy Moses School's outreach program that brings Suzuki training to inner-city families.
On top of this, the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony provides an essential exposure and experience to emerging young artists at the beginning of their careers.
By providing both cultural leadership through bringing high quality concerts to its constituent community, as well as philanthropic leadership in bolstering the education programs that develop the next generation of engaged audiences and supporters of Classical Music, the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony is at the forefront of a grassroots effort to build and re-build classical music in the cultural fabric of its community.
Park Avenue Chamber Symphony is directed by David Bernard.
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The Towne Singers (CA)
The 95+ member Towne Singers is a non-auditioned community chorus based in La Cañada, California. Since being founded in 1987 by Phyllis Winnaman, the chorus has grown to become a well-known source of entertainment for the foothill and valley neighborhoods. Membership is from all the nearby communi ties, and many members commute more than 40 miles to participate in the musical experience. The Towne Singers take pride in their ability to sing all types of music, and in a wide variety of styles.
Beth Richey, Conductor, is a native of Kansas City, Missouri where she completed her undergraduate degree in both Choral & Instrumental Music Education at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Conservatory of Music & Dance. She received her Master's of Music in Choral Conducting at UCLA with the world renowned Donald Neuen. While there, she conducted the UCLA Chamber Singers, Chorale & UCLA Symphony Orchestra. Beth has been conducting church music since the young age of 19. She currently teaches at Hoover High School in Glendale, CA where she instructs Choral Music, grades 3-12.
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J. Dearing
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Whitehall High School Concert Choir (PA)
The Whitehall High School Concert Choir is an unauditioned curricular choir meeting every other day. Performing five concerts each year, the group learns a wide array of choral repertoire from many periods and cultures. The Concert Choir performs both accompanied and unaccompanied works and develops vocal, aural, and sight-reading skills. This spring, the Concert Choir performed a masterworks concert featuring the Fauré Requiem as well as works by Palestrina, Martini, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Josh Dearing is in his third year as the Director of Choral Activities at Whitehall High School, where he conducts the Whitehall Chorale, the Whitehall Ambassadors, and two curricular ensembles. In the summer, he serves as the Assistant Director of Administration for the New York State Summer School of the Arts School of Choral Studies, a program for talented high school singers from across the state of New York, held at SUNY Fredonia. A graduate of East Carolina University, Mr. Dearing earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies. While at ECU, he studied conducting and choral activities with Dr. Daniel Bara and voice with John Kramar.
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What People Said... |
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David Bernard
Music Director
Park Avenue Chamber Symphony
On behalf of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony I would like to send you
our heartfelt thanks for an unforgettable experience. While we have
performed at Alice Tully Hall several times in the past, this was our
first time in the "new" hall after its renovation, and it was
spectacular. The orchestra not only enjoyed the experience of
performing there, but also to be a part of such an original and thought
provoking program. Bravo!
I know how difficult it is to produce programs like this one at Lincoln
Center, and I have to tell you that your operation is incredibly
impressive. Your staff is skilled, well-prepared, and very courteous.
They handle the difficult details and last-minute changes gracefully
and with perfection.
I was also very impressed with the care with which Jonathan mentors the
emerging conductors--not only with simply providing an important
performance opportunity at Lincoln Center--but also in how to manage
the rehearsal and how to fine-tune the choir in the warm-up.
And finally, I was incredibly impressed with how all of the above items
came together to create a meaningful and important experience for
everyone--performers and the audience. In these troubled economic
times, the old formulas of classical arts presenting no longer work. It
is the innovative efforts of organizations like DCINY that is going to
ensure the survival of classical music.
Thinking back on our two collaborations, I am struck by how compatible
our originations are. We too have an innovative model for bringing
together performers and audiences in a sustainable way. In the case of
PACS, we bring important artists and exciting performances to our local
East Side audiences at affordable prices--and also raise funds for
music education. DCINY provides performing opportunities for ensembles,
important conducting opportunities for its emerging conductors in an
approach designed to maximize the experience for the performers and the
audience with unique and compelling programs. DCINY actually creates
art.
I am thrilled that PACS was able to play its part in
your event this weekend. I very much believe in your organization, its
approach and its mission and am happy to do anything to help--and on
top of this, yesterday's event was truly mutually beneficial for all
the right reasons.
Bravissimo!
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