Wright State Collegiate Chorale to perform at Carnegie Hall

The Wright State Collegiate Chorale will perform with the New York City Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 16.

Wright State University musicians will return to one of the world’s most prestigious concert venues when the Collegiate Chorale performs at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, Feb. 16.

The chorale will sing Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” a popular piece of sacred music, with the New York City Chamber Orchestra. The concert begins at 8:30 p.m.

Hank Dahlman, D.M.A., Wright State’s director of choral studies and conductor of the chorale, will conduct the performance. About 50 singers will be on stage.

“It’s a huge honor for us to be invited back to Carnegie Hall,” Dahlman said. “It’s one of the greatest venues of all time, and for a classical musician it’s like Mecca. To be invited to come to Carnegie to perform a great masterwork like the Vivaldi ‘Gloria’ is a real privilege and honor for all of us.

Wright State undergraduate students Sara Lefeld, Amy Tackett, Cassandra Hockney and Megan Christman will sing solos during the performance.

Members of the chorale said performing at Carnegie was an amazing opportunity and the highlight of their music careers.

“Ever since I was in middle school, performing in Carnegie has been on my bucket list,” said Lefeld, a junior majoring in vocal performance and pre-occupational therapy. “We have a program filled with many driven musicians with extremely knowledgeable faculty guiding us to be successful music educators and performers.”

This is the third performance in recent years by Wright State ensembles at Carnegie Hall. The Collegiate Chorale also performed at the famous concert venue in 2008, and the Wind Symphony performed there last May.

The Collegiate Chorale is Wright State’s premier choir and primary touring ensemble.

Its recent accomplishments include earning two silver medals at the 2012 World Choir Games, the largest choral competition; performing at Avery Fisher Hall, the concert music hall at Lincoln Center in New York, in 2010; and releasing its third album, Home for the Holidays with the Collegiate Chorale. The chorale also sang at Washington National Cathedral and Colonial Williamsburg in 2012 and has toured in Europe four times.

Its repertoire features a wide range of musical styles. Members of the chorale are chosen through a highly competitive audition process. The Collegiate Chorale welcomes singers from all over campus, regardless of their major.

Meg Christman, a junior vocal music education major, said she joined the Collegiate Chorale because she likes singing in highly advanced choirs.

“I like how quickly members learn pitches and rhythms because it allows us more time to actually make music instead of just ‘singing songs,’” she said. “I also love harder choral repertoire, and since I plan on directing college choirs one day, I am thankful for the experiences with these upper-level choirs.”

Dahlman thanked Wright State President David R. Hopkins, Provost S. Narayanan, College of Liberal Arts Dean Kristin Sobolik and Department of Music Chair Randall Paul for their strong support.

Prior to the Feb. 16 concert, a reception for Wright State alumni and friends will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Redeye Grill, 890 7th Avenue. More information is available on the Wright State Alumni Association’s website.