National Children's Chorus Announces 2019-2020 Season

USA - English

• USA - English

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The National Children's Chorus (NCC), America's premier choral academy for youth, today announced their 2019-2020 season entitled Evolución, a musical reflection and celebration of the human experience and transformative journey of life, led by Artistic Director Luke McEndarfer and Associate Artistic Director Dr. Pamela Blackstone.

Evolución also marks the beginning of a new decade for NCC, having just concluded their landmark 10th anniversary season. Evolución features stunning repertoire by celebrated composers, as well as notable premieres by NCC's young emerging artists.

More than 800 students in the NCC's four cities of Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco will take part in extraordinary musical experiences both on and off the stage, flavored with influences from Hispanic and Latin cultures across Europe, Mexico and South America.

Evolución presents two signature programs – "Solstice" and "El Camino" – that will feature new works by Senior Division students who participate in NCC's intensive composition workshop, which allows the young musicians of NCC to refine their composition skills by learning the basics of writing techniques while creating their own music.

This season, as part of the "Solstice" program, 15-year-old Christopher O'Brien will premiere Flames, a wildfire-inspired contemplation of creation, destruction and rebirth. Additionally, NCC Conducting Fellows will lead their peers as part of spring performances and on tour.

NCC will perform in venues including UCLA's Royce Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Christ Cathedral, formerly Crystal Cathedral (Garden Grove, Calif.), San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Lincoln Center, the latter of which will host the NCC's 2020 all-city "El Camino" event that brings students from across the country to sing together. NCC's 2019-2020 artistic collaborations entail concerts with the Dresden Philharmonic Children's Choir, and Los Angeles-based Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, in addition to the NCC's 2nd appearance at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

In July 2020, the chorus will embark on its sixth international tour to Portugal and Spain, with visits and presentations at key sites in Lisbon, Seville, Madrid and Barcelona, where NCC will perform at the famed Basílica de la Sagrada Família.

2019–20 Season At-A-Glance:

Solstice: Illuminating the Light Within

• Los Angeles, December 4, 2019, Royce Hall, UCLA
• New York, December 15, 2019, Carnegie Hall

Revel in the joy of the season as the pristine voices of America's finest young singers transport you to a world of holiday wonder.

• Conrad Susa: Carols and Lullabies, sung in Spanish and Catalan
• Morten Lauridsen: Mid-Winter Songs
• Christopher O'Brien: Flames *NCC student world premiere
• Eric Whitacre: Glow
• Tomás Luis de Victoria: O magnum mysterium

Winter Showcase: Celebrating the Season

• San Francisco, December 7, 2019, Trinity+St. Peter's Episcopal Church
• Los Angeles, December 8, 2019, Schoenberg Hall, UCLA
• New York, December 13, 2019, The Church of St. Paul the Apostle
• Washington D.C., December 14, 2019, National City Christian Church

NCC's acclaimed Showcases are among the most anticipated events of the season, highlighting the talents and achievements of ensembles in both the Junior and Senior Divisions. From the Prelude Level featuring children as young as five, to advanced singers with young adults as old as eighteen, the Winter Showcase will demonstrate the extraordinary progression of vocal skills at the NCC.

El Camino: Honoring the Journey

• New York, May 9, 2020, Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
• Los Angeles, May 13, 2020, Royce Hall, UCLA
• Music of love, pain, passion and triumph, flavored with fiery Hispanic influences from around the world, will take center stage in a dramatic performance by NCC's finest young vocalists.
• Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Romancero Gitano
• Gabriel Fauré, arr. Doreen Rao: Pavane

Spring Showcase: Celebrating the Season

• San Francisco, April 25, 2020, Trinity+St. Peter's Episcopal Church
• Washington D.C., May 3, 2020, National City Christian Church
• New York, May 8, 2020, First Presbyterian Church
• Los Angeles, May 16, 2020, Bel Air Presbyterian Church
• The full NCC family comes together for this joyous culmination of the season.

Annual Benefit: Sueños: Dreams for the Future

• Los Angeles, May 15, 2020, Proper Hotel
• New York, May 20, 2020, Ukrainian Institute of America

An exquisite evening, celebrating the remarkable achievements of the National Children's Chorus, with proceeds benefiting the NCC's educational programs. Cocktails will be followed by formal sit-down dinner and silent auction, graced with elegant musical entertainment, including an exciting preview of NCC's international tour to Portugal and Spain.

For full program details, please visit https://nationalchildrenschorus.com/events.

About National Children's Chorus

The National Children's Chorus, under the leadership of Artistic Director Luke McEndarfer and Associate Artistic Director Dr. Pamela Blackstone, is quickly establishing itself as one of the world's leading children's choirs, with a set of 22 ensembles and more than 800 students, based in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Having just concluded a landmark 10th anniversary, its groundbreaking Season 2019/20, entitled Evolución, expands on the chorus' recent success, featuring an array of stunning repertoire, demonstrating the organization's firm commitment to new music, world culture and extraordinary professional collaborations.

SOURCE National Children's Chorus