The service being done by this festival to ensure quality choral experiences and
to hand down masterworks to the next generation in such a professional and
uplifting manner is priceless. This was a life-changing, inspirational program.
—Terry Hicks, Bentonville High School, Arkansas
2006–2007 Participating Choir Director
Choirs from across the country come together for this prestigious yearlong educational program. The Festival offers the unique opportunity to perform a piece of major choral repertory in Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium, under the baton of renowned conductor Dr. Craig Jessop and accompanied by the Orchestra of St. Luke's.
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Program Features | Program Timeline | 2008-2009 Festival Details | Artist Bios | Questions
- No participation fee
- Directors participate in an all-expenses paid Professional Development weekend.
- Dr. Jessop visits each high school for a full day of rehearsals.
- Combined choirs rehearse for five days in New York City prior to the final concerts, where they perform with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s under the baton of Dr. Jessop.
- In the 08-09 season, choirs will perform the featured repertoire twice: once at Carnegie Hall and once at the Apollo Theater.
- Each choir also performs 10-15 minutes of its own repertoire under the direction of its conductor at Carnegie Hall.
- These are the only high school choirs presented at Carnegie Hall by Carnegie Hall.
October: The directors of the selected choirs come together with Dr. Jessop for an all-expenses-paid Professional Development weekend of score study, workshops, and sharing best practices.
January/February: School Visit by Dr. Craig Jessop and Carnegie Hall staff.
March: The participating choirs will travel to New York for five days of rehearsals and two performances conducted by Dr. Jessop. In the first performance at Carnegie Hall, participating choirs perform individually and then combine to perform the featured work with the Orchestra of St. Luke's and guest soloists. The combined choir will also perform at the Apollo Theater.
The 2008-2009 Festival is presented as part of Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy, curated by Jessye Norman. The Festival will culminate in two performances, one at Carnegie Hall, the other at the Apollo Theater.
Featured Repertoire:
Michael Tippett “A Child of Our Time”
2008–2009 Dates
September 25-28, 2008
Professional Development Weekend
Jan-Feb 2009
School Visit by Dr. Craig Jessop and Carnegie Hall
March 17-22, 2009
Festival Week
March 20, 2009
Festival Performance at Carnegie Hall
Part of Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy
Date TBD
Performance at the Apollo Theater
Learn more about Honor!
2008–2009 Participating Choirs:
North Jersey Homeschool Association Chorale
Hawthorne, New Jersey
Beth Prins, Conductor
Pebblebrook High School Chamber Choir
Mableton, Georgia
George Case, Conductor
Shorewood High School Aeolian Choir
Shoreline, Washington
John Hendrix, Conductor
Songs of Solomon: An Inspirational Ensemble
New York, New York
Chantel Wright, Conductor
Dr. Craig Jessop served as Music Director and Conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from December 1999 to March 2008, after having served as its associate director since 1995. Before his appointment with the Choir, Dr. Jessop was a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force music programs, where he served as director of the USAF Singing Sergeants in Washington, DC; as commander and conductor of the Band of the united States Air Forces in Europe; and as commander and conductor of the Air Combat Command Heartland of America Band. He has also been music director of the Maryland Choral Society, the Rhineland-Pfalz International Choir of Germany, and the Omaha Symphonic Chorus. In addition to his work as a conductor, Dr. Jessop has been active as a baritone vocalist, first as a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and later with the choirs of Helmuth Rilling and John Rutter and with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers. He is a previous winner of the Utah State Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera auditions, and has participated in the Merola Opera training program of the San Francisco Opera.
The Orchestra of St. Luke's, America's foremost and most versatile chamber orchestra, is acclaimed for its mastery of a diverse repertoire spanning the Baroque to the contemporary. First organized in the summer of 1979, the orchestra is engaged throughout the year in a variety of artistic collaborations and special projects, including Carnegie Hall choral workshops. St. Luke's has premiered over 100 orchestral and chamber works and has amassed a discography of over 70 recordings, including three Grammy Award-winning releases. In 2003, St. Luke's launched its own record label, St. Luke's Collection.
The application deadline for the 2008–09 Festival has passed.
For more information or to receive a brochure in the mail, e-mail hschoralfestival@carnegiehall.org or call the Weill Music Institute at 212-903-9625.
This concert is made possible, in part, by an endowment fund for choral music established by S. Donald Sussman in memory of Judith Arron and Robert Shaw.
Carnegie Hall's education programs are funded in large part by generous donors like you. Help bring music education to thousands—join Carnegie Hall Friends today!
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