Rochester College A Cappella Chorus To Perform At Carnegie Hall

On its 2012 spring tour, the Rochester College A Cappella Chorus will perform at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan, NY, an event many musicians consider to be the pinnacle of their careers.

“Singing at Carnegie Hall is the dream of classical musicians all over the world,” said Dr. Joe Bentley, professor of music and director of the A Cappella Chorus. “To have this opportunity handed to us with no strings attached is a blessing beyond description. We’re all still a bit in disbelief, but have been working very hard to be worthy of the honor.”

In February 2011, the A Cappella Chorus had the opportunity to perform with two other local choirs in a special presentation of the Sunrise Mass by Ola Gjeilo. The guest conductor for the performance was Dr. Craig Arnold, an internationally known conductor who was once on staff at Western Michigan University. He is the owner of Manhattan Concert Productions, a company that schedules concerts in Carnegie Hall.

Arnold was so impressed with RC’s A Cappella Chorus during the Sunrise Mass event that he invited the chorus to sing at Carnegie Hall in a concert he was putting together for the evening of May 5, 2012. The RC chorus will be part of a larger chorus and orchestra that will perform “Schicksalslied” and “Naenie” by Johannes Brahms. World famous conductors Bruce Chamberlain and Lee Nelson will be directing.