Distinguished Concerts International - New York

E. Whitacre

Sunday, June 28, 2009
8:00 pm

The Choral Music of Whitacre

Including a world premiere courtesy of the DCINY Premiere Project

Eric Whitacre, Composer/Guest Conductor

SATB Repertoire
Lux Aurumque • With a Lily in Your Hand • Animal Crackers Vol. I • Animal Crackers Vol. II • A Boy and a Girl • Sleep • Cloudburst • New work TBD (World Premiere)

Treble Repertoire
She Weeps over Rahoon • The Reckoning (by Hila Plitmann) • Seal Lullaby • Five Hebrew Love Songs

Distinguished Concerts Singers International: Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts (PA), Litchfield County Children's Senior Choir (CT), Lone Star Youth Chorale (TX), Southern California Children's Concert Chorus and Ensemble Singers (CA), Wausau Conservatory of Music's Choralation (WI), Washington State University Concert Choir (WA), Waukesha North High School Concert Choir (WI), York College Concert Choir (NE)

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	Ensemble bios

	Lone Star Youth Chorale (TX) The Lone Star Youth Chorale is an auditioned community youth choir that enjoys performing challenging repertoire and traveling to fabulous venues both nationally and internationally. The Lone Star Youth Chorale has been featured in concerts at the Vatican and in venues in Scotland and Ireland. Choristers in the Lone Star Youth Chorale come together from several area high schools. Dinah Menger, director, just completed her fourteenth year as choir director at Arlington High School in Arlington, Texas. Her program includes 384 singers in 11 performing ensembles, 2 assistants and 2 full time voice instructors. Her choirs have received various awards including Grand Champions and Best in Class and successive Sweepstakes at UIL. The varsity mixed ensemble, Colt Chorale, has performed at the 2005 and 2009 TMEA conventions and at the 2007 ACDA National Convention. Top of page
L. Loftus	Southern California Children's Concert Chorus and Ensemble Singers (CA) The Southern California Children's Chorus (SCCC), Orange County's only chorus dedicated exclusively to meeting the educational and performance needs of children, strives to enrich the lives of its members through programs stressing musical aptitude, teamwork, discipline, self-confidence and personal growth. The SCCC has also provided singers for Touchstone films, MGM films, music videos, commercials, symphony concerts, operas, television specials for Disney and many musical productions. The Concert Chorus has been honored to present concerts at Westminster Abbey, the White House, the Washington National Cathedral, Carnegie Hall, the Bascilica San Marco in Venice, Italy, and Australia's Sydney Opera House. Lori Loftus, the founding director of the Southern California Children's Chorus, is a familiar figure in the music world. She has performed on piano, harpsichord, and pipe organ with the Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale in Southern California since 1978. Lori has been fortunate to work with many acclaimed conductors including Howard Swan, David Thorsen, Helmuth Rilling, Zubin Mehta, John Alexander and Carl St. Clair. She is constantly in demand to adjudicate and, or conduct choral festivals as well as keyboard competitions. Her skills and humor, along with her passion for children and drive for perfection, make her a unique and successful influence on children and adults of all ages. Top of page
J. Burgess	Wausau Conservatory of Music's Choralation (WI) Wausau Conservatory of Music's Choralation is a mixed choir of students high school age and beyond. The choir was formed in 2003 after several students, who were graduating out of the Conservatory's younger choir, said "Where are we going to sing?" Since their inception in 2003 they have sung concerts throughout Wisconsin and have also sung two programs at Carnegie Hall -- "Mass of the Children," composed and directed by John Rutter, and a program of music by Eric Whitacre, under the direction of Stephen Alltop. Ms. Julie Burgess, director, holds a BA in Music with Piano/Vocal Emphasis from Carroll University. She is director of Choral Activities at the Wausau Conservatory of Music and also teaches music in the D.C. Everest school district. She has been a pianist for several theatrical productions, including productions with Broadway Baby Theatre Company, Rankin Theatre Guild and numerous high school musicals. Ms. Burgess' mixed choir, Choralation, was formed in 2003. Top of page
L. Wiest	Washington State University Concert Choir (WA) The Washington State University Concert Choir, conducted by Dr. Lori Wiest, consists of 45 singers, from freshmen to graduate students majoring in various degrees across the campus such as Cell Biology, Political Science, and Music. They perform music of all periods, specializing in music by contemporary composers. In February of 2008, Concert Choir performed works by Eric Whitacre conducted by the composer in a series of concerts for the American Choral Music Festival sponsored by NEA. The Concert Choir performed Carmina Burana with the Spokane Symphony in 2007and has performed on international tours to Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Russia. Dr. Lori Wiest is the Director of Choral Activities and Associate Dean of the Graduate School at Washington State University. She conducts the WSU Concert Choir and Madrigal Singers, teaches courses in choral conducting and choral literature, and serves as conductor of the Spokane Symphony Chorale. Dr. Wiest received a Doctor of Musical Arts from University of Arizona, Master of Music from Arizona State University, and Bachelor of Science from North Dakota State University. She has sung for and worked with conductors Robert Shaw, Maurice Skones, Douglas McEwen, and Edwin Fissinger. Top of page
J. Hyland	Waukesha North High School Concert Choir (WI) The Waukesha North Choir Program consists of five choirs: the Chambers Singers, Concert Choir, Advanced Women's Choir, Treble Choir, and Men's Choir. The choirs usually perform six-seven concerts per year and was fortunate to perform in Carnegie Hall in 2007. In the past the choir has also been to Minneapolis, and a 2010 tour to Toronto is already in the works. In addition, they have performed at the UW-La Crosse Jazz Festival, the Marquette University Choral Festival, the Lawrence University Jazz Festival, the Onalaska Choir Competition, the Dorian Festival at Luther College, National Anthem Performances for the Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks games, and in collaboration with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Waukesha Symphony Orchestra. Joey Hyland is the Director of Choirs at Waukesha North High School. His undergraduate music studies were at UW-La Crosse, and he is currently a graduate student at UW-Milwaukee, studying choral conducting with Dr. Sharon Hansen. He is a soloist with the Immanuel Presbyterian Chancel Choir of Milwaukee and has also been a soloist with the Milwaukee Choral Artists, the Plymouth Concert Chorale, and Milwaukee-Area Messiah Performances. Joey has also spent time working at Six Flags Theme Parks as a performer and vocal coach. He is a frequent adjudicator and in 2009 was named the Outstanding Young Choral Director in Wisconsin by the WCDA. Top of page
C. Roush	York College Concert Choir (NE) The York College Concert Choir travels 3,000-4,000 miles/year representing York College, its music department, and the choral art. They have performed multiple times for the state conventions of the Nebraska Music Educators and the Nebraska Choral Directors. They have twice appeared with the Omaha Symphony Chamber Orchestra, and have made a concert tour of Japan. The Choir was most recently honored when Dallas Christian Sound issued an independent compilation/tribute CD set dedicated to the Choir. The choir's reputation for choral excellence is well-known, particularly in the midwest and southern parts of the country. Dr. Clark Roush, director, received his choral training from Harding University, The University of Iowa, Eastman School of Music, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He serves as collegiate repertoire and standards chair to the board of the Nebraska Choral Directors Assocation, and sits on the editorial advisory board of the journal of the NC-ACDA. He is active as guest clinician, conductor, and adjudicator. During his 23 years at York he has been listed multiple times in Who's Who Among American Teachers and Who's Who in American Education. Dr. Roush is also a speaker on leadership, time management, and worship renewal. Top of page
	What People Said...
	From CBS's Early Show, June 27, 2009 -- Performers appear in the audience to promote the concert Top of page
	Julie Burgess Director Wausau Conservatory of Music's Choralation When I first learned of the opportunity to sing with Eric Whitacre through an ACDA Choral Journal ad I was excited -- we had done a concert of his music two years before at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Stephen Alltop. The students said it was their favorite choral music. When I knew that the DCINY experience would allow them to meet, work with and perform with Mr. Whitacre, I could hardly contain my excitement! The rehearsals [in New York] went well. I loved that the kids were able to ask questions, I loved that his lyricist was so warm and inviting, and the night of the concert was magical. My husband and 9-year-old were there to see my two daughters perform in the concert, and it was such a proud moment for all of us! The warmth, compassion and human moments that we were allowed to be a part of is what makes this musical experience a once in a lifetime event. We thank DCINY for allowing us to be a part of it, you are THE BEST I've ever worked with, and I hope we can do it again. Top of page
	Joey S. Hyland Director of Choirs Waukesha North High School Thinking back on my choral experiences, I remember being caught up in the "choral hoopla" surrounding world-famous composer, Eric Whitacre. The constant listening to of his music and the sharing of my love of his music to others is something I am still doing today. Last summer, after reading the Choral Journal, I spotted an advertisement from the company DCINY (Distinguished Concerts International New York) inviting choirs to audition to perform Eric Whitacre's music in New York under the direction of Whitacre himself. I immediately sent in a recording of my choir and we were accepted along with five other choirs from around the country to form a 225-member ensemble. We were also instructed to prepare and memorize nine of Whitacre's octavos, which also included two world premieres. This process ended up being somewhat of a challenge due to the fact that I did not plan all nine octavos into my choir's repertoire this year. As a result, every Sunday night, the 30 students who committed to this project would rehearse these songs with me for two hours, in addition to having all the pieces on their IPods for personal use. After an extensive bus ride, we arrived on June 25th and checked into our hotel. The next morning our rehearsals, which took place at Juilliard, began with the other schools and Eric Whitacre. As soon as he walked into rehearsal, you could feel the energy and knew this was going to be special. Over the next five hours, we sang every piece and were fortunate enough to hear the background stories on these songs from their actual creator. By his own admission, Eric Whitacre is not a choral conductor, but his rehearsals were full of humor, musicality, and plenty of memorable moments. My students and I left rehearsal truly inspired. The next day we had another five-hour rehearsal with Eric Whitacre and he used this time to really dig deeper into the music with the choir. He opened up rehearsal time to hear the student's points of view about his music. He also did a lot of editing on the spot, which was truly a unique experience because he had full authority to keep changing notes that he didn't like, especially on the premieres. In addition, he brought in his good friend Charles Anthony Silvestri, who wrote the poetry for many of his pieces, to talk to the singers about what these pieces really mean. Finally, he impressively found time to audition almost 100 students for the various vocal and instrumental solos in his pieces. The next day was the concert and true excitement surrounded the performance because the music was sounding absolutely stunning. We performed at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center that evening to a crowd of over 1,000 and the concert was absolutely flawless. DCINY made sure everything went smoothly and that it was done with class. They also were extremely generous by hosting a post-concert reception at Tavern on the Green in Central Park for all of the performers and their families. What a special way to end the evening! Please keep in mind that even though we were in rehearsal for a considerable amount of time, we were able to squeeze in many of the traditional New York excursions. Many outstanding projects like this are already in the works through DCINY for 2010 and 2011, and I would highly recommend an experience like this to foster growth in your choral program. Top of page
	Clark Roush Conductor York College Concert Choir Please pass on my most sincere gratitude for the incredible opportunity provided us this past weekend. I am not known as a man at a loss for words, but my search to adequately convey my appreciation seems infantile. Glorious, awesome, incredible, breath-taking, marvelous, life-enriching, heart-filling, and amazing only begin the descriptors used by my entourage. I was incredibly impressed by how smooth and classy everything was. It was one of the apex's of my artistic career. Thank you! May you and DCINY be blessed as richly as you have blessed countless numbers of other artists by your competent and caring approach to choral music. Top of page
	Jacqueline Sandy I was blessed to be a witness to the Eric Whitacre concert on June 28th in New York. We flew from Atlanta, Georgia to enjoy this concert, and we were not disappointed. IT WAS INCREDIBLE! I wept during Lux Aurumque because it reminded me of how blessed I am to be a part of a humble body of people that appreciate and sing this beautiful type of music. I had never seen Eric Whitacre or watched him direct. He was brilliant, down-to-earth and inspiring. Bravo! Please keep these coming! Top of page