The student group, Whitachoir, directed by graduate student Arthur Lewis, will join other choruses from around the world in a special residency program in New York City next March, culminating in special concert in Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall featuring the music of Eric Whitacre.
Distinguished Concerts International New York City (DCINY), organizers of the event, invited the SUNY Fredonia group to participate in the concert, which will be conducted by Eric Whitacre, an American Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor who is known for his "Virtual Choir" projects, bringing individual voices from around the globe together into an online choir. He has addressed the U.N. Leaders program and given a TED talk on his virtual choirs project. Many of his works have entered the standard choral and symphonic repertories and have become the subject of scholarly works and doctoral dissertations.
Derived from Whitacre's last name, Whitachoir was formed on campus in 2010 to feature the choral music of Eric Whitacre and other contemporary composers. Director Lewis is studying conducting under Dr. Gerald Gray.
About the SUNY Fredonia group's invitation, Jonathan Griffith, artistic director and principal conductor for DCINY said, “Whitachoir 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 Fredonia singers will spend five days and four nights in New York City in preparation for their concert.
The students are requesting donations to help cover their expenses. An online website to contribute can be found on Go Fund Me.
