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Delta State Chorale invited to perform in New York City’s Carnegie Hall with composer Eric Whitacre

By March 8, 2011General

Delta State University Chorale

Distinguished Concerts International New York City (DCINY) recently announced that Richard Waters and the Delta State University Chorale have been invited to participate in a performance of The Choral Music of Eric Whitacre on the DCINY Concert Series in New York.

This performance at Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium is scheduled for Sunday, April 1, 2012. These outstanding musicians will join with other choristers to form the Distinguished Concerts Singers International, a choir of distinction. Composer/conductor Eric Whitacre will lead the performance and will serve as the clinician for the residency.

Dr. Jonathan Griffith, artistic director and principal conductor for DCINY states: “The Delta State University Chorale received this invitation because of the quality and high level of musicianship demonstrated by the singers. It is quite an honor just to be invited to perform in New York. These wonderful musicians not only represent a high quality of music and education, but they also become ambassadors for the entire community. This is an event of extreme pride for everybody and deserving of the community’s recognition and support.”

The singers will spend five days and four nights in New York City in preparation for their concert. “The singers will spend approximately 9-10 hours in rehearsals over the five day residency.” says Griffith. “Not all of the time is spent in rehearsals, since there is so much history and culture to see in New York City. However, the performance is the primary purpose for their visit to the city.” Members of the community are encouraged to give financial support in sending these singers to New York by contacting Dr. Waters at (662) 846-4115 or via email at rwaters@deltastate.edu.

Eric WhitacreWhitacre writes music that draws listeners into a soundscape of “unearthly beauty and imagination” (The Los Angeles Times). An active clinician and lecturer, Whitacre is inspiring and motivating a new generation of singers and musicians, “taking a revered tradition and making it fresh and exciting again” (Pioneer Press, Minneapolis). His ongoing collaboration with the NYCGB has been a valued testing ground as he strives for the “emotional directness and intensity” (American Record Guide) his music requires.

His work has received thousands of performances worldwide. In 2007, the all-Whitacre choral CD Cloudburst (released by the British ensemble Polyphony on Hyperion) became an unexpected international bestseller, topping the classical charts and earning a Grammy nomination. The BBC raved, "what hits you straight between the eyes is honesty, optimism and sheer belief that passes any pretension. This is music that can actually make you smile.”

Whitacre divides his time between conducting and teaching throughout the world and the ever-increasing demands of his composing. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Grammy-winning soprano Hila Plitmann, and their son.