Distinguished Concerts International - New York

In this issue:

It is with great relish that DCINY sends to you our very first newsletter - so much wonderful information to share and we hope that you will enjoy this special view of the series and our latest happenings which we think will be of interest to you. Our annual season opener with composer Karl Jenkins will launch on January 18, 2010, at Lincoln Center.

Please read and discover behind the scenes at DCINY. Learn about: caffeine, good friends, incredible music making, Paradise Lost, and (figure this one out) The Great Wall of China! All of us share good wishes with you as the holiday season blossoms. We look forward to paths crossing in the future - on stage, in the audience, at conferences, and perhaps on a NYC street corner.

Warm wishes,

Iris Derke, DCINY General Director

J. Griffith

 

K. Jenkins

J. Meaders

K. Riehle

Monday, January 18, 2010, 7:30 pm, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center

Concert for Peace - Celebrating the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jenkins: Requiem
Jenkins: The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace (with film)

Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor
Karl Jenkins, Composer-in-Residence

Purchase tickets for January 18

View a video invitation from Karl Jenkins

A Heroes' Tribute: Clausen's Memorial & Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass

Clausen: Memorial
James M. Meaders, Guest Conductor

Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass
Kevin Riehle, Guest Conductor

Purchase tickets purchase tickets for January 19

Saturday, January 23, 2010, 2:00 pm
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall

Music on Canvas, 57x7

canzone:
Kirsten Allegri, Mezzo-Soprano
Amy Buckley, Soprano
Featuring Stef-Albert Bothma, Pianist & Visual Artist

Purchase tickets for January 23

Johanna Kodlick at the Great Wall of China

Johanna at the Great Wall with DCINY General Director Iris Derke

DCINY China Performance Tour

Well, I can check off "Climb the Great Wall of China" from my bucket list, thanks to DCINY! Oh yeah, not to mention seeing a once-in-a-lifetime total eclipse of the sun in Shanghai, singing Karl Jenkins'  "The Armed Man" in Beijing, gracing the stage of the Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, and walking through The Forbidden City! The amazing opportunity to travel with DCINY and the Jonathan Griffith Singers to the Far East is one that I am very thankful for, and I will continue to cherish the memory of it through the years. I am looking forward to the possibility of more international adventures with DCINY.

The Jonathan Griffith Singers is comprised of semi-professional and professional singers from all over North America who travel every other year to various far reaches of the globe to SING (woo hoo!!!) and experience different cultures. Since music and travel are two of the very most important things in life to me, these tours are just heavenly! All the details of the tour were perfectly orchestrated with the help of ACFEA Tour Consultants. I highly recommend this experience to anyone who feels the same way that I do. - Johanna Kodlick, Director of Artistic Operations, DCINY

DCINY's Big Move

DCINY has a new home! Two months ago, the whole office packed up our supplies, files and archives to move eight floors up in our prime Midtown building. Although it was a hectic few weeks of reorganizing and starting all over, the move has reinvigorated our office environment.

The new space is open and airy, with big windows and a more communal atmosphere. Offices are larger, and feature long windows by each entrance, adding to the open feeling. The walls are filling up with colorful posters and pictures from past seasons, and we will continue to add to this display as we reach new levels of achievement. Additionally, with more spacious common areas, the layout affords greater opportunities to converse and collaborate across departments.

Making this move as we kick off the new season has really put us all in the best frame of mind possible. We are excited and energetic, both about the season and the future of DCINY. This is a big step forward in our company's history, and we are eagerly looking ahead into the possibilities of tomorrow!

Stop by DCINY for a coffee break and meet the staff! Come see our new office at 250 West 57th St Suite 1610, get a complimentary coffee/tea/hot chocolate and take a break with us!

Jeffery Thyer, DCINY Program Development Coordinator, and Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director, show off their DCINY bags.

DCINY Sponsors NCCO Conference

The National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) held its third national conference on the campus of Yale University November 5-7, 2009. DCINY was a lead sponsor of conference and provided tote bags to all the registrants. Conference Chairperson and NCCO President, Dr. Randi von Ellefson said, "Everyone appreciated DCINY very much and the bags were a complete success."

More than 200 college and university choral directors gathered for three days of concerts, clinics, discussion and rejuvenation. Included among the incredible choirs who gave concert performances was the Mansfield University Concert Choir under Director Peggy Dettwiler. Dr. Dettwiler and the Concert Choir will appear on the DCINY concert series next June as part of the New York concert premiere of Eric Whitacre's Paradise Lost. Vance George, who will conduct a performance of Carmina Burana on the DCINY concert series in February, was inducted into NCCO as the 2009 Honorary Life Member.

This is our second year supporting the NCCO conference. Of the sponsorship, General Director Iris Derke said, "I am so pleased to support this thriving organization and our colleagues in this way and hope to find more inlets for collaboration. We extend our sincere congratulations to the choirs and conductors on their wonderful and musical performances."

Come visit with the DCINY team at an upcoming conference:

• 2009 Midwest Clinic, Chicago, Illinois, December 15-19. Booth 1260
• 2010 ACDA Central Division Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, February 24-27
• 2010 ACDA North Central Division Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 3-6
  
• 2010 ACDA Southern Division Conference, Memphis, Tennessee, March 10-13
• 2010 ACDA Northwestern Division Conference, Seattle, Washington, March 10-13
• 2010 NATA Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, July 2-6

Meet the DCINY Production Staff

The DCINY Production Staff is comprised of a number of hardworking individuals who are active in the New York City area as performers and educators, with several still working towards future careers in NYC area universities. The staff includes graduates of Juilliard, NYU, and the Manhattan School of Music, with the majority of the staff holding graduate degrees. This is an opportunity to meet some of these talented DCINY Production Staff members who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that all DCINY Concerts are a success!

The newest member of DCINY's in-office team, Nicole Cotton, was recently promoted to the position of Production Associate. Nicole is an active musician, playing with the Astoria Symphony and other ensembles in the New York City area. Nicole is also a sought after wind instructor, teaching privately and at the Woodmere Music School. Originally from Arkansas, she obtained her B.A. in Music from the University of Arkansas and completed her Masters Degree in Clarinet Performance from New York University. Nicole has also performed on the color guard of the award winning DCI Corps, the Colts and the Glassmen, and is a lifelong member of Sigma Alpha Iota.

"I am very excited about being part of the Production Department this year. Serving as Production Staff in the 2008-2009 season, I experienced just some of what DCINY has to offer musicians and audiences. I loved working with the diverse groups that came through as a member of the Production Staff, and have taken a slightly different task this season as Production Associate. I am not only in the field but heavily involved in the extensive behind the scenes preparation it takes to make such a successful season. With everything from rehearsal planning to working out logistics with the staffs of Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, we pushing fast ahead! We're happy to do everything we can to make everyone's experience with DCINY and our beautiful city more enjoyable. I'm very excited about this upcoming season and can't wait to work with you all!" -Nicole Cotton, Production Associate

Eric Whitacre's Paradise Lost Comes to New York

Distinguished Concerts International New York proudly announces the New York concert premiere of Eric Whitacre's "Paradise Lost" in Carnegie Hall!

Read more

DCINY Welcomes New Addition to its Advisory Board

Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt, Associate Director of Music at Ohio State University, accepts Invitation

Read the press release

New partnership: 41st NATS Artist Awards Competition for Singers

DCINY, in partnership with the National Assocation National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), will offer a New York Solo Recital Debut to the winner of its Artist Award!

Read more on the NATS website

DCINY awarded "Profile in Leadership" Award by the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps (LGBAC)

DCINY is honored to receive a prestigious award from the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps (LGBAC), presented at the LGBAC's 30th anniversary concert celebration.

Read the press release

Read about the concert celebration

DCINY was in Time Out New York!

Time Out New York featured DCINY in its November 18, 2009 issue as part of the magazine's "Get This" weekly promotion.

Read more

This Day in Music History

Dame Janet Baker, English mezzo-soprano, gave her song recital debut in Town Hall, New York, on December 2, 1966.