APPLICATION DEADLINE MAY 2
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.
Program Features
Program Timeline
2008-2009 Festival Details
Artist Bios
How to Apply
Questions
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- 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
March 22, 2009
A Celebration of the Spiritual And Gospel Music
Performance at the Apollo Theater
Part of Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy
Learn more about Honor!
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.
Download the brochure for the 2008–2009 Carnegie Hall National High School Choral Festival (1.16MB PDF)
Download the Application (106kB PDF)
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There is no participation fee for The Carnegie Hall National High School Choral Festival. Carnegie Hall will provide each singer with a score of the featured works. Each choir is responsible for its own costs of transportation, lodging, and food. All conductors must accept the responsibility of adequately preparing the featured repertoire throughout the year. All applicants must be mixed four-part choirs (SATB).
To apply for the 2008–2009 Festival, interested choirs should submit an application form along with a recording of the group. This does not have to be the repertoire the group would perform at Carnegie Hall.
- Recording must be submitted on CD (no cassettes will be accepted).
- All selections must be unedited
- Recording must contain two contrasting selections totaling no more than 10 minutes of music.
Please note: at least one selected must be in English.
- Label the CD with the name of the choir, conductor, and repertoire.
Participants in the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 Choral Festivals are not eligible.
Applications and recordings for the 2008-2009 Festival must be received no later than Friday, May 2, 2008. Choirs will receive selection notification by Friday, May 30, 2008.
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.
Programs of The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall are generously supported by the City of New York: Office of the Mayor, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York City Council; and by the New York State Council on the Arts.
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!
