LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE
PRESENTS FREE CONCERT
SHOWCASING REMARKABLE VOCAL TALENTS OF
1,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT
27th ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR FESTIVAL
LED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR GRANT GERSHON
AND GUEST CONDUCTOR TESFA WONDEMAGEGNEHU,
CONDUCTOR OF AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA’S THE RADIO CHOIR
Concert Features Students from 31 Southland High Schools
Plus Special Performance by 100-Voice Festival Honor Choir and
LA Master Chorale’s Professional Chamber Singers
in Program of Works by Handel, Copland, Gutiérrez,
Susan LaBarr, Ariel Quintana and Others
Friday, April 22, 2016, 1 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC) showcases the next generation of musical talent at its acclaimed High School Choir Festival featuring 1,000 choir students from 31 Southland high schools in a free concert on Friday, April 22, 2016, 1 pm, at Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Sharing the podium are LAMC Artistic Director Grant Gershon and special guest Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, the highly regarded conductor of American Public Media’s (APM) The Radio Choir and manager of APM’s Choral Works Initiative. The massed 1,000-voice chorus performs Handel’s Sing Unto God (Judas Maccabeus); Copland’s Long Time Ago; Hold Fast To Dreams by Susan LaBarr with text by Langston Hughes; Ariel Quintana’s “Sanctus” from Mass For Two Worlds; Pedro Gutiérrez’s Alma Llanera arranged by Angel Sauce; Down by the Riverside arranged by John Rutter; and My Good Lord’s Done Been Here arranged by André Thomas
In addition, the prestigious 100-voice Festival Honor Choir, comprised of outstanding young singers nominated by their teachers, presents three a cappella works – Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal arranged by Alice Parker; Paranjoti’s Dravidian Dithyramb; and Una Forma Mas arranged by Ana María Raga. The festival also features a performance by the professional Los Angeles Master Chorale Chamber Singers under the direction of Associate Conductor Lesley Leighton.
“I am deeply inspired and uplifted by the High School Choir Festival,” says Gershon. “The talent, drive and energy of these remarkable students are simply astounding. And to hear this chorus perform in Disney Hall, with its exceptional acoustics, is an incredible experience.”
Participating schools and choir directors include Agoura High School (Agoura), Chad Bloom, director; Arleta High School (Arleta), Greg Broadous, director; Baldwin Park High School (Baldwin Park), Vicki Salmon, director; Bellflower High School (Bellflower), Carolyn Kelley, director; Birmingham Community Charter High School (Lake Balboa), Michael Suffolk, director; Calabasas High School (Calabasas), Joshua Barroll, director; California High School (Whittier), Dan Hawkins, director; Charter Oak High School (Covina), Rebecca Schmalzbach, director; Covina High School (Covina), Susan Silver, director; Culver City High School (Culver City), Dr. Tony Spano, director; East LA Performing Arts Magnet, (Los Angeles), Melissa Rios, director; El Monte High School (El Monte), Joel Whisler, director; Fullerton Union School (Fullerton), Scott Hedgecock, director; Glendale High School (Glendale), Grace Sheldon-Williams, director; and Glendora High School (Glendora), Dr. Brian Trevor, director.
Also participating are Hamilton High School (Los Angeles), Kelci Hahn, director; Lakewood High School (Lakewood), Ralph Siemsen, director; Louisville High School (Woodland Hills), Maura Crawley, director; Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach), Michael Hayden, director; Montebello High School (Montebello), Jessie Flasschoen, director; Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana), Sarah Gonzalez, director; Palos Verdes Penninsula High School (Rolling Hills Estates), Dan Doctor, director; Paramount High School (Paramount), Brian Hays, director; Ramón C. Cortines High School (Los Angeles), Christopher-Rey Yraola, director; Rosemead High School (Rosemead), Ruth Gray, director; Rubidoux High School (Jurupe Valley), Jeff Lin, director; San Gabriel Academy (San Gabriel), Lilybeth Evardome-Hunt, director; South El Monte High School (S. El Monte), Melanie Harvey, director; Taft High School (Woodland Hills), Kendra Hall, director; Valley Academy of Arts and Science (Granada Hills), Paul Sims, director; and Venice High School (Los Angeles), Wendy Samoff, director.
Now in its 27th year, the High School Choir Festival is one of the longest and most successful continuously operating music outreach programs in Southern California. The in-depth, yearlong, in-school program presented by the Los Angeles Master Chorale includes intensive teacher training; classroom rehearsals and master classes for students and choral directors led by members of the LA Master Chorale.
The High School Choir Festival is made possible, in part, by grants from the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts; Metropolitan Associates; and Edison International.
The Los Angeles Master Chorale’s High School Choir Festival is FREE and seating is first come, first served. The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 South Grand Avenue at First Street in Los Angeles. For information, please call (213) 972-7282 or visit www.lamc.org/HSCF.
EVENT:
Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 27th Annual High School Choir Festival
Grant Gershon, conductor
Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, guest conductor
1,000 Students from 31 Southland High School
Festival Honor Choir
Los Angeles Master Chorale Chamber Singers
WHEN:
Friday, April 22, 2016, 1 pm (Festival Chorus and Festival Honor Choir)
PROGRAM:
Performed by 1,000-Voice Festival Chorus
HANDEL Sing Unto God (Judas Maccabeus)
COPLAND Long Time Ago
SUSAN LABARR Hold Fast To Dreams
ARIEL QUINTANA Sanctus from Mass For Two Worlds
GUTIÉRREZ Arr. Angel Sauce Alma Llanera
Arr. John Rutter Down by the Riverside
Arr. Andre Thomas My Good Lord’s Done Been Here
Performed by 100-Voice Festival Honor Choir
Arr. Alice Parker Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal
PARANJOTI Dravidian Dithyramb
Arr. Ana María Raga Una Forma Mas
VENUE:
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
COST:
Free
INFORMATION:
(213) 972-7282
www.lamc.org/HSCF
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS:
Agoura High School (Agoura)
Arleta High School (Arleta)
Baldwin Park High School (Baldwin Park)
Bellflower High School (Bellflower)
Birmingham Community Charter High School (Lake Balboa)
Calabasas High School (Calabasas)
California High School (Whittier)
Charter Oak High School (Covina)
Covina High School (Covina)
Culver City High School (Culver City)
East LA Performing Arts Magnet, (Los Angeles)
El Monte High School (El Monte)
Fullerton Union School (Fullerton)
Glendale High School (Glendale)
Glendora High School (Glendora)
Hamilton High School (Los Angeles)
Lakewood High School (Lakewood)
Louisville High School (Woodland Hills)
Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach)
Montebello High School (Montebello)
County School of the Arts (Santa Ana)
Palos Verdes Penninsula High School (Rolling Hills Estates)
Paramount High School (Paramount)
Ramón C. Cortines High School (Los Angeles)
Rosemead High School (Rosemead)
Rubidoux High School (Jurupe Valley)
San Gabriel Academy (San Gabriel)
South El Monte High School (S. El Monte)
Taft High School (Woodland Hills)
Valley Academy of Arts and Science (Granada Hills)
Venice High School (Los Angeles)
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03/23/16
