Voice - New York Choral Society

Member and Alumni News

October 2017

A new “Voice” to reach our audiences

– Pat Owens, Executive Director

Welcome to

The Voice,

NYCHORAL’s quarterly newsletter that offers exciting information about our concerts and events, our singers, and our alumni. In this issue, our Music Director, David Hayes, and I explore how he puts a season of music together. He provides some wonderful insights into the mind of a conductor as he considers the contours of music and setting in developing a season that features choral works of composers from the 16th century to the present. And we take a deeper dive into the process of creating our November concert, which pairs Randall Thompson’s Frostiana with some of Franz Schubert’s “partsongs.” Our November concert features wonderful soloists from The Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Voice Editor and chorus member Tawnie Baker introduces us to soprano Gabriella Reyes de Ramírez and pianist Zalman Kelber. Lisa Guida offers us some history of The Church of St. Francis Xavier which was recently named as one of “New York’s Most Beautiful Churches” and is the perfect setting for this concert. Our Associate Conductor, Michael Ciavaglia, had a busy summer. I recently sat down with Michael to find out a bit more about his musical endeavors beyond NYCHORAL. We are a truly vibrant group of singers from a wide range of background and experience. Read on as we introduce to you some of our singers. I hope you enjoy this edition of The Voice and look forward to welcoming you at our events and concerts this season. Pat Owens Executive Director Visit our web site Follow us on Facebook

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October 2017

Committed to a diverse choral repertoire

A conversation with Music Director David Hayes


This season, we present a wellknown choral masterwork, some lesser-heard works and the East Coast premiere of a contemporary work. Our concerts offer audiences an opportunity to discover the relationship between poetry and music through works of composers from the 16th century to the present. Music Director David Hayes and Executive Director Pat Owens discuss the process of creating a wonderful range of choral music experiences for our audiences. We have an interesting musical arc this season, beginning in November somewhat modestly with concert of chorus, soloist and accompanist in a church; continuing in February at Carnegie Hall with chorus, full orchestra and soloist; and capping off at Carnegie Hall with Bach’s Mass in B Minor with chorus, chamber chorus, four soloists and full orchestra. The season planning process takes me significant time. Once I settle on some ideas of works for our major concerts (balancing budget and marketability; canonical masterworks vs. new works, usefulness in developing and stretching the chorus artistically, etc.) – I let it percolate. My first ideas are not always (actually, almost never!) what ends up being the final program. I weigh the various pieces against each other, look for thematic threads or narratives to find other pieces to complement the main works, find the right “flow” for the season – change the pieces to other works that better support developing narratives – all of this is how I go about programming a season! As an example, I knew I wanted to program the Bach Mass. That was easy as there is nothing else to program with it. It’s a full concert (and then some)! The question was whether the Bach Mass should lead or close our season. Scheduling considerations and creating a musically impactful season led me to choose May for the Bach Mass.

Our 2017- 2018 season reflects our commitment to presenting a diverse choral repertoire.

For our February Carnegie Hall concert, I chose Frank Ticheli’s wonderful Symphony No. 3, The Shore, which I had been hoping to program for some time. It will also be an East Coast premiere. With Ticheli as a starting point, I began to think of a narrative based on the “ocean” or “sea.” I considered many “aquatic’ flavored pieces before landing on the final pairing of the Ticheli with Stanford’s rarely heard Songs of the Fleet. The fact that it fit so well into the thread of the concert narrative and offered the opportunity for us to feature our good friend Jarrett Ott as baritone soloist, made it an ideal choice. Availability of Carnegie Hall this season led us to place both of these concerts in the Spring. So, when considering the Fall, I hit upon the idea of a compact and intimate concert centered around Randall Thompson’s wonderful Frostiana, which isn’t often performed in its entirety these days.

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October 2017

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Committed to a diverse choral repertoire After much searching through possible repertory, I ultimately decided to pair Frostiana with Schubert’s settings of partsongs for male, female and mixed chorus . Although initially serendipitous, the fact that Schubert’s pieces foreshadowed the way Thompson explored the disposition of choral forces in his own cycle was something worth exploring. Besides, how lovely to have the chance to sing rarely performed works of Schubert – one of the greatest composers of vocal music. In a nutshell, that’s how this season came into being!

I like how poetry and prayer function as “two sides of the same coin” in delving deeply into these themes.

Two of our concerts this season focus on the relationship of poetry and music to explore an introspective look at the human experience. How does the role of the chorus in these works explore this idea?

In other words, Bach mines the sacred text (a communal prayer) in ways that are transformed by his music into a deeper and more ‘universal’ spirituality.

You are referring to the Schubert/Thompson and Stanford/Ticheli concerts. The choral setting allows an audience to hear the words not from a single individual, as in song; rather through the vehicle of the vocal ensemble which creates a more universal expression of the words. In other words, it is not “I” who sings these words to you (the audience), but “we.” Words take on a different meaning when sung by many voices as when sung by a single voice. The poetry for these concerts is of very high quality: Frost for November and David St. John for February. Thompson and Ticheli chose poems that resonate with deep beauty and meaning. I’m thinking of lines from Frost such as: “Two roads diverged in a wood, And I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” St. John’s exploration of metaphors for different stages of life and how the ocean is a constant as we change: “The sea’s melody, Of loves, Sworn to live, Beyond this night: Until the sea is dead, Here is the place I’ll stand, With the moon and the waves, In each open hand.” Each composer has mined the meaning of the words in subtle ways and created music that illuminates the deeper meanings of the text that helps us to better understand the poet’s words through that music. The essential role of music to elevate and bring deeper meaning to poetry is one of the great glories of the union of great poetry with great music. I’m looking forward to exploring that with both the chorus and our audiences.

Sacred and Secular (poetical) texts are in many ways “ying and yang.” I read recently about the universality of Bach’s setting of the ordinary of the Latin mass. Noted Bach scholar John Butt wrote: “Historically, the Mass seems to stand on a pivot between music for practical use within the liturgy and the ‘autonomous’ religious music of later ages. Its denominational ambiguity has led many to perceive in it a ‘universality’ which transcends its historical context. Indeed, the disputes of the last few decades – such as whether it is a Lutheran or Roman Catholic work – seem almost provincial in the face of its enduring qualities, which have inspired one of the most talented and conscientious of modern scholars, Yoshitake Kobayashi, to affirm for him, even as a Buddhist, the Mass in B Minor is of great spiritual significance.”

I think that David St. John’s secular poetry (greatly illuminated by Ticheli’s music) becomes a kind of communal prayer at the end as well. We journey through the metaphorical stages of life – a ‘universal’ if ever there was one, where: “There is one shore, Where we look out upon nothing, & the sea our whole lives, Until turning from those waves, We find one shore, Where we look out upon nothing, & the earth our whole lives, Where we look out upon nothing...Where what is left between shore and sky, Is traced in the vague wake of...What we forgive” - to arrive at the end, again on the shore: “Here I’ll stand, with the moon & the waves, In each open hand” – a soul perched on the edge of eternity. What more ‘universal’ sense of spirituality could one experience? As with other seasons, we have a really wonderful group of soloists performing with us this season. Some are returning to sing with us, others will be debuting with us, and one singer will have his Carnegie Hall debut. The selection of soloists is an important consideration as you put the season together. Can you tell us about the soloists you selected? Over the past few years we have developed some really strong artistic partnerships with soloists. Some of whom I first worked with elsewhere and then brought to NYCHORAL and some of whom we identified through

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October 2017


Committed to a diverse choral repertoire research and listening. Lisa Guida (our soloist coordinator) and I are constantly talking about and listening for soloists that would fit into our long tradition of identifying rising young artists and giving them major performance opportunities at early stages of their careers. Of this year’s soloists, I’ve known Jarrett Ott and Sarah Shafer longest – since working with them on opera productions at The Curtis Institute of Music. NYCHORAL gave them their Carnegie Hall Debuts. Lee Poulis and I worked together at the Berkshire Choral Festival and Abigail Fisher came through our research. Lee and Abigail performed Hindemith’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d with us recently. All of these artists have collaborated with us on multiple occasions. Once I find great musical partners, I like to keep working with them! New to our roster of soloists is James Reese, a tenor. I worked with James at Umbrian Serenades in Spoleto, Italy in the summer of 2016 and was incredibly impressed with his artistry. He is a rising young singer and I’m thrilled he can join us for the Bach, in his Carnegie Hall debut. We are also excited to be working with the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artists program. The November concert features Lindemann artists, soprano Gabriella Reyes de Ramírez and pianist Zalman Kelber, two outstanding young artists. And we are also featuring the NYCHORAL Chamber Ensemble in the Bach Mass in B Minor. The NYCHORAL Chamber Ensemble will be serving as the “concertists” – the “chorus within the chorus” for the Bach. Robert Shaw, in his famous 1960 tour and recording of the B Minor Mass, used a smaller group within his Robert Shaw Chorale (about 40 singers) to sing various moments in the works that were more lightly scored. In his performances, he used solo voices as “concertists” to produce a lighter texture or more nimble singing. In doing so, he achieved a wonderful clarity of voicing and textural balance that is not possible where everyone sings everything, resulting in a monolithic and undifferentiated texture, at least in my view.

.How does this season reflect your vision for NYCHORAL? My vision all along has been for NYCHORAL to be the destination chorus in New York and to distinguish from our peers by the breadth and quality of our programming as well as by the quality of our performances. I hope our programming shows not only intra- but also inter-season arcs of thought that are the threads which unite our programming from season to season. We want both our ensemble and our audiences to experience not only the canonical masterpieces, presented in the best possible venues and performances; but to also experience newer and lesser known works. We want to be on the cutting edge of defining what the choral experience can be and explore the works of our own time through regional, national and world premieres. We seek to place our performances in the best context – be it venue, style of presentation or other extra-musical collaborations. What would you like our audiences to take away from their experience with us this season? More than anything else, I’d like our audiences to come away from our performances spiritually and intellectually refreshed. I hope they take away more than just the beauty of the music, and begin to enter more deeply into the works we are performing by really considering the fabulous texts we are singing – and what significance those texts may have for them. Ultimately, we entertain – but if we can also uplift, then we’ve really done something special!

In my own performances of the work with The Philadelphia Singers (40 voices), I followed Shaw’s example and had soloists on the “concertist” sections to great effect, It is my intention to do the same in our upcoming performance. The full chorus will sing the “tutti” sections and the NYCCE (40 voices) will sing the designated “concertist” sections, I hope to chat more about this as we get closer to our performance of the Bach Mass!

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October 2017

Join us for an exciting season of music! An essential force in the New York City cultural community since its founding in 1959, NYCHORAL is widely regarded for the outstanding artistic quality of its choral music performances. Saturday, November 18, 2017 @ 8:00PM

Tuesday, May 8, 2018 @ 8:00PM

Featuring works of Randall Thompson and Franz Schubert St. Francis Xavier Church Tickets $30, available at http://roads.bpt.me/

Johann Sebastian Bach – Mass in B Minor An epic masterpiece that has influenced generations of composers and continues to elate and inspire all who experience its transformative power and beauty. Carnegie Hall; Tickets start at $30

Roads Less Traveled

Join NYCHORAL, soprano Gabriella Reyes de Ramírez and pianist Zalman Kelber for an evening of choral music that pairs Thompson’s Frostiana with Schubert’s Mirjams Siegesgesang, Der 23. Psalm, and Widerspruch. Our program takes its inspiration from the text of Frostiana and some of Schubert’s less often performed works. The dynamic marriage of poetry and music will delight choral music enthusiasts and poetry lovers alike. Gabriella Reyes

de Ramírez and Zalman Kelber appear by kind permission of The Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

NYCHORAL Masterworks

NYCHORAL and Orchestra and the NYCHORAL Chamber Ensemble are joined by sopranos Sarah Shafer and Abigail Fischer, baritone Lee Poulis and tenor James Reese for a performance of this stirring and inspiring choral work. Renowned conductor and Bach expert, John Eliot Gardiner, has said that “the music is full of vigor and life with a spiritual and joyous side. It celebrates the fundamental sanctity of life, an awareness of the divine and a transcendent dimension as a fact of human existence.”

Sunday, February 11, 2018 @ 2:00PM

Where Even the Sea Sings

A concert of choral and orchestral music featuring Frank Ticheli’s The Shore (Symphony No. 3), Charles Villiers Stanford’s Songs of the Fleet and Felix Mendelssohn’s concert overture The Hebrides. Carnegie Hall; Tickets start at $30 Join NYCHORAL and Orchestra and baritone Jarrett Ott in a concert that explores the relationship of composer, poetry and the ocean. This will be the East Coast premiere of Ticheli’s The Shore and an opportunity to experience the work of this highly regarded west-coast based American composer. The program also features Stanford’s Songs of the Fleet, a choral work rarely heard in the United States. NYCHORAL will also host a panel discussion - “Frank Ticheli’s The Shore” on February 7, 2018. Music Director David Hayes and Frank Ticheli will explore the composer’s inspiration in creating this contemporary choral masterwork.

Also appearing with… December 10, 2017 NYCHORAL joins 2017 Richard Tucker Award Winner Nadine Sierra for a performance at the 2017 Richard Tucker Music Foundation Gala at Carnegie Hall. http://richardtucker.org/2017/08/06/gala-2017/ December 13-14, 2017 NYCHORAL joins famed tenor Andrea Bocelli for his return engagement on at Madison Square Garden. With Conductor Eugene Kohn, soprano Larisa Martinez and guest artist Heather Headley. http://www.andreabocelli.com/tickets/

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October 2017

When poetry and music combine

A conversation with Music Director David Hayes about Roads Less Traveled


You have described this as “a concert of partsongs”. How does the concert explore this idea? The growth of bourgeois society and an educated middle class, along with the explosion of choral societies during the 19th century, created a growth industry for composers. The public wanted not only solo/Lieder/art songs, but also “partsongs” – compositions that could be sung by several singers, either individually or in ensembles. These works were primarily secular, and could be for mixed ensemble (Soprano/Alto/Tenor/Bass) or for women’s or men’s voices. Schubert is an acknowledged master of the Lieder form – but most concertgoers today are far less familiar with his partsongs for male, female and mixed ensembles. There’s an extraordinary body of music of Schubert for these performing forces, rich and varied in expression. The words are secular (even if based on religious texts: like Psalm 23 or Miriam’s Song of Victory) – I prefer to think of these as religiously inspired poems, rather than as sacred texts. Randall Thompson’s famous cycle, Frostiana, is based on poetry of Robert Frost. Thompson created his choral cycle of seven short pieces to be sung by choruses, much in the style of Schubert’s part songs. Some are scored for women, some for men and some for mixed ensemble.

In particular, Thompson’s response to Frost’s words is uncanny. He seems to have found a way to set them with a natural musical language that sounds organic to the text and typical of Frost’s colloquial New England style. Even Frost, who famously did not like his poems set to music, allowed that Thompson had done such a good job in mining the meaning and mood of these poems and projecting the words naturally that he would sanction only Thompson to set his poems. There are reports that when Frost first heard the work at its premiere in 1959, he jumped up and shouted, “Sing that again!” For this concert, you have opted for rather simple orchestration – just a piano soloist. Solo piano was the original way in which all of these works were accompanied. While there is an orchestration of Mirjams Siegesgesang, it is later. The other two Schubert works exist only with piano accompaniment. And, although Thompson’s Frostiana was later orchestrated (in 1965, after Frost’s death), it was conceived with piano accompaniment. So, this orchestration feels right. This program highlights different facets of our chorus. The Schubert parts are for male, female and mixed chorus. Frostiana is for similarly variegated ensembles.

By linking these composers and compositions, we create an exploration of secular ensemble music for various ensemble combinations, hearing the commonalities of their approach to this genre, even though separated by about 100 years – Schubert born in 1797 and Thompson in 1899.

Yes! The complementary aspect of presenting works by both composers in similar ensemble dispositions allows for direct comparison of how each treats the various choral scorings. The works also represent each composer’s native language – German for Schubert, English for Thompson.

As for many composers, poetry – the sacred and secular – is rich source material for Schubert and Thompson.

St. Francis Xavier Church, more intimate than a large concert hall, seems the perfect setting for this concert.

Both composers wrote magnificently in sacred and secular genres. Though it seems they are considered composers of secular works, primarily. The vast majority of Schubert’s vocal and choral output is secular – though he also left many masterful sacred pieces. Thompson could be considered in the same way – even though his most famous work, the Alleluia, could be considered a “sacred” piece despite its text consisting of only that one word!

None of the works were conceived for large concert hall – an intimate setting means experiencing the compositions as they would have been performed originally.

But yes, poetical text – whether sacred or secular – is a major source of inspiration for most composers writing in a vocal idiom; more so than prose, I’d posit. The poetic imagery helps create a framework for the composition.

We are working with artists from the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program – soprano Gabriella Reyes de Ramírez and pianist Zalman Kelber. I’m very excited by this! We’ve been looking for ways to expand our collaborative partners – the opportunity to establish a new relationship with the Lindemann Program is a boon for NYCHORAL. These are exceptional young artists and I’m delighted we can provide them the opportunity to showcase their artistry in the early stages of their careers. Page 6


October 2017

A magnificent backdrop

– Lisa Guida

St. Francis Xavier Church, located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, was recently named one of the “most beautiful churches in New York City” by Time Out. Join NYCHORAL, Soprano Gabriella Reyes de Ramírez and pianist Zalman Kelber in this striking setting to experience the magnificent choral music of Franz Schubert and Randall Thompson on November 18. Founded in 1851, the church is well regarded for its physical beauty, progressive congregation and ministry to the poor. It recently won a prestigious New York Landmarks Conservancy award for fusing functionality and restoration. Since its founding in 1847, St. Francis Xavier has been serving the spiritual and physical needs of the community adapting to the changing needs of each new wave of immigrants to the community. Eventually the church became inadequate for the number of people who came to worship. In 1878 the cornerstone was laid for the current magnificent church designed by the famous architect, Patrick C. Keely. The present church is modeled after a Roman basilica with distinctively American touches; a Native American father motif and stenciling similar to what adorned Colonial homes. The church recently underwent a $13 million renovation. The new marble surrounding the alter exactly matches the grey marble of the centuryold columns. The figures of the murals are clean and vibrant. The 20 ton altar was shifted forward by a team of Amish monument movers, making room for a new sacristy with a glass ceiling. The Church has never abandoned its commitment to the poor. Every Sunday it serves 1000 meals to the needy and runs both a men’s shelter and an “L Step” life skills program that teaches the fundamentals of preparing a resume, obtaining a job and securing housing for those in need.

Breathtaking: Breathtaking: St. St. Francis Francis Xavier Xavier Church Church in in the the Flatiron Flatiron district district of of Manhattan Manhattan Page 7


October 2017

Meet our November 18 soloists Gabriella Reyes de Ramírez Soprano Zalman Kelber Pianist

Nicaraguan-American soprano Gabriella Reyes de Ramírez is in her first year of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. This season she appears with NYCHORAL and with New Haven Symphony as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Prior to arriving at the Met, she completed a year’s training at Boston University’s Opera Institute. She made her debut with the Opera Institute as the soprano in Philip Glass’s Hydrogen Jukebox, followed by the title role in Tobias Picker’s Emmeline. In the spring of 2017 she sang the Countess in the Institute’s production of Le Nozze di Figaro, directed by David Paul. She has also sung Minskwoman in Jonathan Dove’s Flight, and a Greek Woman and Priestess in Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride. In the summer of 2016, she debuted in OperaHub’s production of Montsalvatge’s El Gato con Botas as La Princesa and was selected by Houston Grand Opera to participate in their Young Artists Vocal Academy. She reached the finals of the 2017 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and received her bachelor’s degree from Boston Conservatory.

Coach/pianist Zalman Kelber, from New York City, is in his second year of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. This season he debuts on the Met’s music staff as assistant conductor for The Exterminating Angel and appears in concert with NYCHORAL and The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach. In summer 2016 he was a participant in Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute and prepared Gianni Schicchi at Crested Butte Music Festival. Other past engagements include Le Nozze di Figaro with Summer Opera Tel Aviv, pianist and continuo player for Don Giovanni at Venture Opera, and serving on the music staff at American Lyric Theater. Mr. Kelber has completed training programs at Glimmerglass Festival, Palm Beach Opera, Aspen Music Festival and School, Castleton Festival, and Shreveport Opera. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music and in African History from Northwestern University and his master’s degree in music at the University of Oxford. Gabriella Reyes de Ramírez and Zalman Kelber appear by kind permission of The Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

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October 2017

Meet Michael Ciavaglia, NYCHORAL Associate Conductor Michael Ciavaglia maintains a very busy schedule. In addition to his role as Associate Conductor of NYCHORAL, Michael is Adjunct Professor of Music at Fairfield University. And this past season he created and conducted a program for the NYCHORAL Chamber Chorus. Summers find him working with the Cincinnati Opera Chorus, and he regularly works in North Carolina with the Asheville Lyric Opera. We were excited to learn that this summer marks his conducting debut with the company. Executive Director Pat Owens met with Michael to chat about his role with NYCHORAL and what he was up to this past summer.

Our singers and audience really enjoyed the NYCHORAL Chamber Chorus performance you conducted in May. What was your thought process in developing the program? I have a deep familiarity with the music and liturgical practice of the Russian Orthodox Church, so I decided to develop a program that maintained the structure of the Russian Orthodox vespers service as it would be sung during the Easter season. This was a truncated version, containing only the “ordinary” texts (which would be sung every week), and not the “propers” that would double the length of sung music. What I really loved about the concert was the wide date range of the compositions: from the 18th through the 20th centuries. But because of the unifying liturgical tradition, the music sounded unified sonically, even though it had 200 years of musical development contained within it. How has your recent experience as Associate Conductor of NYCHORAL informed your approach to choral conducting? My work with NYCHORAL has continued to inspire me for two reasons: The people and the music. First, the wonderful, dedicated singers of the chorus, who work together in many different ways for a unified artistic goal; as well as David Hayes and David Ralph, my musical collaborators and dear friends. I can hardly believe the variety of music we’ve worked on over the last ten years. It’s been a compendium of musical style from throughout the common practice period to the present day. Because we have a relatively long rehearsal period for each concert, we get to know each piece intimately, and hopefully master the stylistic elements that make, say, Handel different from Hindemith.

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Michael Ciavaglia (in costume before La Bohème) and the Cincinnati Opera Chorus

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Meet Michael Ciavaglia For the past few summers, you have been working with the Cincinnati Opera Chorus. How is that experience different from your work with a symphonic chorus? Working with the Cincinnati Opera’s resident chorus is especially fulfilling because it’s a festival atmosphere; we have rehearsal or performance every day of our 8-9 week season. Working on opera chorus music has a wonderful built-in feature: the dramatic motivation is right there in the text. We know right off the bat if the music is expressing anger, excitement, or love, and so on. NYCHORAL has a wonderful annual opportunity at the Richard Tucker Music Foundation Gala to have this kind of experience with operatic music. And, works such as Handel’s Israel in Egypt and Mendelssohn’s St. Paul have provided these dramatic opportunities while giving the chorus a featured role that is rare on the opera stage.

Michael Ciavaglia rehearsing Elixir of Love at the Asheville Lyric Opera

This summer marks your conducting debut at the Asheville Lyric Opera. Can you tell us more about that? I’ve been with the company about four years, as chorus master, chief of music staff, and tour conductor. It was a thrill to conduct their inhouse production of Elixir of Love! Asheville is a great small city in the mountains of Western North Carolina that values the arts and is proud of its symphony and opera company, so it’s a pleasure to work there regularly.

Michael Ciavaglia rehearsing Elixir of Love at the Asheville Lyric Opera

We did Elixir with the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus, and with some great American opera singers singing the principal roles. Much like NYCHORAL, it’s a familial atmosphere, as I’ve worked with the director, stage manager, production director, and many of the singers. Stepping out in this new capacity with this work is great— Bel canto opera requires a lot of conducting! And this one in particular has a lot of music for the chorus.

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October 2017

Meet our members Baritone Aaron Miller returns to NYChoral after a brief pause in 2007. Born and raised in Indianapolis, I attended Goshen College, earned my MD degree at Indiana University School of Medicine, then capped off my education with an MPA from Columbia School of International and Public Affairs. I currently work as a child abuse pediatrician and also founded a nonprofit, BRANCH (Building Regional Alliances to Nurture Child Health). I am partnering with UNICEF in Namibia to develop the country’s national guidelines and training for integrated services for child maltreatment and intimate partner violence. It was through my work in medicine that I learned about NYCHORAL. During a midnight shift in the Emergency Department, I mentioned to my senior resident my interest in joining a choir. “My husband (David Chen) sings in a great choir. You should check it out,” was her reply. The rest is history. One of my fondest memories with the choir comes from the July 4th, 2004 concert in Notre Dame, walking through the warm, appreciative crowd who gave the touring group a big hug. All this was followed by a memorable sunset dinner cruise on the Seine with the NYCHORAL family.

Jesse Liu comes to the NYChoral family with an orchestral background, mainly playing the clarinet. Growing up in a small town 40 minutes south of San Francisco, I participated in numerous California All-State Honor Orchestras and Bands, as well as the California Youth Symphony and eventually the Stanford Symphony Orchestra, where I also obtained my BS in Electrical Engineering. I went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School and currently work as the Head of Merchandising + Product Development for Poppin, a New York based company listed in Inc. Magazine’s 5000 fastest growing companies. I stumbled upon NYCHORAL in this YouTube video. After watching it, I knew I had to be part of this organization. Through Summer Sings and my audition, I sensed that this was not only a friendly, approachable chorus, but that there were social opportunities beyond rehearsals and fundraising events. It’s my first season with NYCHORAL, but I already feel camaraderie amongst my fellow tenors! I love to travel and have visited over 70 countries! My goal is to hit the 100 mark in the next decade. I also love trivia. In my second year of business school, I was a contestant on Jeopardy. And if you have a friend looking for a tennis partner, I am looking to improve my backhand with a friendly game every now and then.

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Meet our members Soprano Maggie Boland discovered NYCHORAL when her roommate was performing as a soloist at a NYCHORAL Summer Sing. As a kid, I was an avid whistler. My dad used to say he always knew where I was when I wandered off because he could hear me whistling. Eventually the whistling turned into singing, likely from my love of singing along with Disney movies, especially The Little Mermaid. My first experience into the chorus world was an invitation to join my 5th grade honors choir. I have been in a choir ever since. Growing up in Brainerd, Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, I attended Luther College for my undergraduate studies and was fortunate enough to sing with the Nordic Choir where I was able to tour much of the US and a bit of Europe. I continued my studies at Northern Arizona University for my Masters, at which time I sang with Edith Copley in The Shrine of the Ages. Now, I work as the Director of Ensemble Services at Manhattan Concert Productions. My team and I coordinate travel, lodging, and scheduling for guest artists performing at major venues around the nation. Carnegie Hall is our bread and butter! I discovered NYCHORAL during a night at Summer Sings where my roommate was a featured soloist! At that point, I was beginning to miss singing on a regular basis and wanted to get my voice back in shape. It’s very easy to feel anonymous in New York and I wanted a way to connect with people while doing something meaningful. I am looking forward to meeting new friends and creating new memories amongst not only my fellow Soprano I section but also across the group as well! And if you were wondering, I am indeed the perfect height for hugs.

October 2017

Support NYCHORAL today! Only a small portion of our annual budget is funded with ticket sales. Your contributions support NYCHORAL’s commitment to present a diverse repertoire of choral music, including well-known choral masterworks, great compositions that are rarely heard in concert halls, and newer, significant choral works. Contact our Executive Director, Pat Owens, for more information on the below.

The NYCHORAL Annual Fund

Contributing to our Annual Fund is a great way to show your support of NYCHORAL. Contributions >$150 are acknowledged in NYCHORAL concert programs. You can donate online here or mail your check (payable to New York Choral Society) to NYCHORAL Annual Fund, 119 W. 57th Street, Suite 1215, NY, NY 10019.

The NYCHORAL Young Soloists Program

Each season, promising young soloists join us for one of our performances. For these soloists, our concerts are important milestones in the early stages of their careers. Recent soloists have included soprano Vanessa Vazquez, baritone Jarrett Ott, mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer, and tenor Zach Borichevsky. The NYCHORAL Young Soloists Program supports this important endeavor and is committed to introducing our audiences to these new voices.

Corporate Matching Programs

Many companies and organizations support employee charitable contributions by matching donations to organizations like NYCHORAL. Corporate Matching Programs are a great way to amplify the impact of your support of NYCHORAL. Want to find out more about your employer’s Matching Program? Contact your company’s HR department for more information on Corporate Matching Programs.

When you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to NYCHORAL! Go to smile.amazon.com, select “New York Choral Society” and shop! And of course, show your support by attending a NYCHORAL concert. Our audience is essential to what we do. Mark our performances on your calendar, reserve a ticket, call a friend to come with you, and experience the thrill of live choral music!

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October 2017

Alumni: forever in our family – Tawnie Baker

The NYCHORAL Alumni Association is going strong and celebrating our 10th year – what a milestone! We now have 248 members who reside all over the world; in England, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Japan, Canada, Mexico and The Netherlands, as well as in cities and states from the east to the west coast and places in between. One new alum. Carolynn Whitford, who just joined the NYCHORAL Alumni Association, lives in Suffern, NY. She was a Soprano 1 singing member from 1994-2007. I'm sure some of our current members and alumni remember her. When Caroline registered on our website she said that she was thrilled to be part of the alumni group and looks forward to getting more news on the chorus' activities. She commented that she misses it so much, truly. It was hard for her to commute from Rockland County into the city but stated that she was ever grateful for the 13 years she sang with NYCS. Here is her story.

The Team Tawnie Baker, Executive Editor Jodi Conti, Editor and Designer

I lost my father back at the end of 1993. It was a hard loss for me and my family who struggled without him. The following summer, I took the opportunity to go on a personal sabbatical out to the East End of Long Island. It was there I became myself again and felt inspired to sing. I joined the Southampton Chorus under the leadership of Jack Goodwin, who invited me to audition for his other chorus, NYCHORAL. And it was a gift to me ever since to sing with this awesome chorus. My debut was Ralph Vaughn Williams' A Sea Symphony – and what a wonderful piece to kick off a nice long 13-year run. Sadly, after 13 years, I just could not make the commute into the city anymore because of diabetic retinopathy and poor night vision for driving. But the years of singing with the chorus in the great halls of Carnegie and Lincoln Center, and so many other incredible venues – meeting amazing artists, musicians and making awesome friends; I have had such a great experience and will cherish it for a lifetime. And somehow, just maybe, I believe my dad was watching from above for each concert. A note must be given to many but one in particular – Jack Goodwin. Thank you for being such an inspiration to my soul. All my best, Carolynn Whitford S1 - 1994-2007

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