Thirty-seven singers from the Cal State Long Beach Chamber Choir will travel to New York City next week to perform in the prestigious Carnegie Hall.
“The CSULB Chamber Choir is one of the most recognized collegiate ensembles in the western U.S.,” said Jonathan Talberg, conductor of the Chamber Choir and director of choral, vocal and opera studies at CSULB.
The performance is part of a regular series held each night of April, in which the top choirs in the country are invited to perform. According to second-year member Kyle Stevens, there were once plans to demolish Carnegie Hall, but this series has helped to bring in the funds required to preserve the hall and its history.
“This does not lessen the meaning of performing on the stage,” Stevens said, as only the highest level groups with the best reputations are invited.
More than 50 supporters have donated money to the music program. Thanks to their generosity and other supporters, the trip will not cost the music department any money. Each student will pay $400 to cover airfare and a five-night stay in New York City.
While this marks the group’s first visit to Carnegie Hall, it is not the first time it has performed in a famous venue.
The ensemble has performed in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles, the Karlskirche in Vienna, Austria, the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, Italy, the Collegiata di San Gimignano in Tuscany, Italy, and at the Great Wall of China, according to Talberg.
The Chamber Choir is preparing for the trip by rehearsing five hours a week, which is its normal rehearsal schedule. While in New York, the ensemble will practice four to five hours a day with the other choirs to make sure a unified sound is achieved. Also, while in New York, the group will perform another concert at Trinity Lutheran Church.
When the singers aren’t performing or rehearsing, the group will be free to enjoy the sites the city has to offer, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, Ground Zero, Yankee games, shopping or going to shows.
But for Stevens, “The five-hour flight is going to be full of homework, papers and music study. But once we land, we are in a new mode.”
Many music majors at CSULB have busy schedules, balancing rehearsals and performances. Stevens, for example, said he is at school 30 hours a week, not including dress rehearsals and concerts.
However, Stevens said he is inspired to pursue this hectic lifestyle by his love for music and the way it can connect people together.
“Music is an international language. I cannot express myself in life like I can with music,” he said.
