Sixty-one DGS Choir students have been selected to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Saturday, March 25. They will perform along with several other nationally recognized high school choirs.
The students were selected to sing through Choirs of America. Once a year, the COA president invites proven high school choirs to perform at their National Festival in New York City. The invitation was based on DGS Madrigal Singer performances last year at both the Illinois Music Educator’s Convention in Peoria and the American Choral Director’s Central Division Convention in Chicago, which were by recorded audition.
”The chance to sing in New York City is a wonderful accolade and opportunity for our students, who were especially selected for this performance,” says DGS Choir Director Laura Coster, who has taught at the school for over 30 years and is retiring this year. Coster and collaborative pianist Ricardo Pedroza have been rehearsing with the students, including working on a newly commissioned piece by composer Randall Stroope for the massed choir performance.
Please click here to see photos and a video of the choir practicing.
DGS students selected for the trip include: Erica Alves, Angelina Andresen, Matt Bair, Dominic Balsamo, Angie Bednara, Jordan Bertrand, Amy Binder, Simone Black, Kyla Brown, Lexi Brudnicki, Jake Burrows, Matt Burrows, Pete Burrows, Tanner Cameron, Molly Carlson, Shannon Conniff, Kalli DeMatteo, Jake Doty, Emily Ermel, Jessica Foster, Jeremy Frewen, Justin Gadomski, Zack Graham, Skyler Groveau, Janella Guzman, Ruth Hedberg, Elena Holz, Gizel Issa, Val Jardine, Justina Jusevicius, Amber Kass, Emilia Kaszyk, Coleen Kuper, Zoe Kurzweil, Emily Leatherwood, Korina Luco, Kira Matheson, Sean McCarthy, Tatum Mitchell, Jordan Murley, Lizzie Murphy, Lauren Myczek, Natalie Olsen, Nathaniel Parson, Ben Paynic, Kevin Purackel, Kate Riley, Katelyn Scott, Samantha Selatovich, Carlirose Smid, Natalia Soja, Jackie Sumida, Kevin Tate, Maddy Taylor, Ben Vena, Lydia Walsh-Rock, Rileigh Weber, Abigail Wilkinson, Cece Williams, Jessica Windischman, Alyssa York, Julianna Zwart
Before the performance at Carnegie Hall, students will participate in a clinic at Queens’s College with nationally known clinicians.
“It has been an exciting challenge to prepare the singers from all grades to learn very challenging literature for the event, and the students are working hard and are excited to perform outside of their community,” says Coster. “While the trip will include several other sightseeing opportunities for the group, the Carnegie Hall performance will most likely be the most memorable for these young adults.”
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