Top High School Performers Join UW Singers Thursday

October 9, 2012

The University of Wyoming Singing Statesmen and Bel Canto Women’s Chorus will perform with four high school choirs from across the state in an invitational festival concert Thursday, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts concert hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

Each high school choir was selected to participate in the festival based on its excellence and leadership in the state. The focus this year is gendered choirs, and four women’s choirs are participating: Laramie High School Girls’ Select (Mike Hancey, conductor); Douglas High School Hamilton Avenue (Randy Gifford, conductor); Rock Springs High School Girls’ Elite (Leesa Kuhlmann, conductor); and Cheyenne East High School Bella Voce (Beth Kean, conductor). 

The choirs will come together during the day to perform for one another; receive guidance from the UW Vocal Arts faculty; learn a piece with the UW Bel Canto Women’s Chorus; and perform at the evening concert.

The evening concert will feature the University of Wyoming Bel Canto Women’s Chorus (Zach Vreeman, conductor) and the UW Singing Statesmen (Nicole Lamartine, conductor). The Statesmen are a 75-voice non-auditioned men’s choir who were selected to perform at last year’s regional conference of the American Choral Directors Association in Seattle.

“There was a need in the state for choirs of the same gender to hear and learn from each other. An invitational festival focusing on gendered ensembles was the perfect solution,” says Lamartine, the festival coordinator. The UW/ACDA High School Choral Invitational festival is sponsored by the UW Department of Music and the Wyoming chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.

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