Distinguished Concerts International - New York

Untitled Document

In this issue:

DCINY Orchestra Attracts Top Musicians

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir Project

Words from Eric Whitacre Scholarship Winner Jamal Walker

Rene Syler to Narrate June 6 SING FOR THE CURE (Susan G. Komen Foundation) Concert

DCINY Production Staff Member Brian Ellingsen Named 2010-2012 Fellow for The Academy

Music Masters of Wales Concert Makes It to The Huffington Post!

DCINY Initiates Mentoring Program

Hear Karl Jenkins WNYC Interview on Soundcheck

Ballard Choir, Orchestra Prepare for Trips to New York

Elvis Lives!

DCINY in the Fela! April Newsletter

On Sale Now!

This Day in Music History: April 8, 1971

WYNC
January 19, 2009, Jonathan Griffith conducts the Music of Karl Jenkins

DCINY Orchestra Attracts Top Musicians

by Nicole Cotton, Production Coordinator

One of the joys of working for the Production Department at DCINY is working with fantastic musicians from around the world. Some of the finest are resident members of the DCINY Orchestra. Over the past three seasons, the DCINY Orchestra has matured into a top flight orchestra. Their musicality and professionalism are a vital component of our performances and have been a consistent bright spot for conductors, performers, and audiences alike. As an instrumentalist myself, I am approached by many fellow performers in the New York area about joining the DCINY Orchestra. It has become known amongst the musical community as a great orchestra.

The members of the DCINY Orchestra have graduated from and participated with very well-know organizations and educational institutions, including The Juilliard School, the Mannes School and Manhattan School of Music.

Iris Derke (far left) and Jeffery Thyer with scholarship winner Melody Meyers (center)

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir Project

Have you seen Eric Whitacre's latest Virtual Choir Video, "Lux Aurumque"? It is incredible. Singers from around the world posted their individual parts, simply singing along to the recorded piece and using a virtual conductor track (conducted by Whitacre himself). Scott Haines played a huge role in piecing all the tracks together to create this beautiful virtual choir. It consists of 185 voices, 243 tracks, and singers representing nearly every continent. Eric Whitacre shares all the details on how it came to be (and his ultimate goal) on his blog, SoaringLeap.com.

Through this Virtual Choir Project, Eric Whitacre selected 6 best individual videos of each vocal part. The winners are Melody Meyers and Julie Pajuheshfar, Soprano; Evangelyna Etienne and Lauren Collis, Alto; Robbie Bennett, Tenor; and Jamal Walker, Bass. They will each be awarded the Eric Whitacre Scholarship, and will be joining Eric Whitacre and other singers from around the country to sing in the New York Premiere of Whitacre's Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings (concert version) in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall on June 15, 2010. NBC affiliate 4 New York ran part of the virtual choir and mentioned Eric Whitacre on their newscast March 25. Congratulations, guys!

J. Walker

Words from Eric Whitacre Scholarship Winner Jamal Walker

After sending in my video, I was in anticipation the entire time, just wanting to know if I would be going to New York. The day I found out, I was studying for a test. I received two phone calls from friends in my choir yelling "Congratulations"! I had no idea what they were talking about. Then I checked the soaringleap.com website and saw my face. It was such a pleasant surprise! I am extremely honored to have been selected. Just the thought that I was hand chosen by Eric Whitacre to sing in his choir at such a big event baffles my mind. It didn't seem real because I never win anything, but this is definitely real and amazing! I look forward to lending my voice in the Paradise Lost concert in June.

R. Syler

Rene Syler to Narrate June 6 SING FOR THE CURE (Susan G. Komen Foundation) Concert

On June 6, DCINY will present the 10th Anniversary of Sing for the Cure, a joint project of the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Turtle Creek Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Tim Seelig. The piece has been performed all over the United States, Canada and Europe since its June 2000 World Premiere in Dallas. These performances have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars towards the funding of breast cancer awareness, prevention and treatment.

The work itself utilizes moving music and a spoken word narration to send its message. Recently, DCINY has engaged René Syler to serve as narrator for this special anniversary performance. An active member of the National Association of Black Journalists, she has interviewed former First Lady Laura Bush, former President Jimmy Carter, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Senator John McCain to name a few. Additionally, she served as a co-host on CBS News' The Early Show from 2002 – 2006. She has been personally affected by breast cancer, and is a recipient of the 2004 Gracie Allen Award for Individual Achievement in the National Best Anchor category for her own series on the disease.

Concert for Peace
B. Ellingsen

DCINY Production Staff Member Brian Ellingsen Named 2010-2012 Fellow for The Academy

DCINY is lucky to have a production staff comprised of individuals who not only do a fantastic job of facilitating our performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, but also are outstanding performers in their own right. We are proud to note that one such staff member, Brian Ellingsen, was recently named a 2010-2012 Fellow for The Academy, a joint program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and The Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education.

The Academy selects up to 20 of the world's finest young professional musicians to be part of the program and provides them with varied professional experiences including ensemble performances in Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School and Skidmore College; school partnerships within the New York City public school system; residencies at Skidmore College; and the opportunity to propose and develop community-based group projects.

This is Brian's first season working on the DCINY production staff, but he has fast become an integral member . Brian holds degrees from the Hartt School of Music and the Yale University School of Music and is an active double bass performer and teacher in the New York City Area.

Music Masters of Wales Concert Makes It to The Huffington Post!

Read the Huffington Post's covereage of Wales Week in New York, including DCINY's March 6 concert The Music of Wales.

E. Ehly

V. George

Craig Jessop
C. Jessop

DCINY Initiates Mentoring Program

As part of our mission towards education, DCINY is proud of the Mentoring Program. The Mentoring Program has been created to benefit DCINY Emerging and Debut Conductors. The program prepares talented conductors who have demonstrated success in their regional choral or orchestral programs to make their conducting debuts at a major concert hall in New York, such as Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center or Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall.

Upon the completion and acceptance of the application and audition process, the emerging or debut conductor is invited by DCINY's artistic staff to conduct a major choral work with a chorus of 175-250 singers, a professional orchestra, and professional soloists, comprising a 25-35 minute portion of a concert to be produced by DCINY.

In the months preceding the concert, the emerging or debut conductor will be paired with an experienced mentor with one or two private sessions. The mentor will give them a hands-on overview of the work they will be conducting, preparing them for all the elements that must come together to make the performance a success. Mentors include such first-tier conductors as DCINY's Conductor Laureates Paul Salamunovich, Eph Ehly, Vance George, Craig Jessop, and John Alexander.

Our most recent mentor was leading Baroque violinist Cynthia Roberts, a faculty member at The Juilliard School, who is the concertmaster of New York’s Concert Royal and Cleveland's Apollo's Fire. Preceding the DCINY Mainly Mozart concert on 03/19/10, Ms. Roberts met and prepared DCINY Debut Conductor Mark Lawlor, who gave a fabulous performance of Mozart’s Vesperae de Dominica.

As DCINY expands, we are excited about this addition to our education program and the many benefits it will bring to everyone involved!

Read further details on the program

Karl Jenkins (left) and John Schaefer

Hear Karl Jenkins WNYC Interview on Soundcheck

Stream or download Karl Jenkins speaking with WNYC's John Schaefer, host of Soundcheck, on March 5, 2010.

The Ballard High School orchestra rehearses during class.

Ballard Choir, Orchestra Prepare for Trips to New York

Leah Leinbach always felt shy singing in front of people.

With a push from her mom and choir director Courtney Rowley, the Ballard High School senior shelved her jitters and joined the concert choir last year.

"I'm kind of a newbie," she said. "[But] I've always really loved singing. It took a lot of prodding to finally get me to join, but I'm so glad I did."

Richard Shallbetter
Elvis visits with Jeffery and Iris at the ACDA regional conference in Memphis.

Elvis Lives!

Every two years, the American Choral Directors Association holds regional conferences around the country. DCINY is proud to support the work of ACDA and its members. The conferences are always a wonderful time to reconnect with friends & colleagues and hear excellent performances. We were in attendance at the conferences in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Seattle and Memphis, where Elvis paid us a special visit!

Richard Shallbetter