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CURRENT NEWS & EVENTS
"From the top" appearance Sunday, July 27 @ 11:30 am
The multicultural Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC), among today’s finest youth choruses, will be featured on PBS’s Emmy-nominated From the Top at Carnegie Hall on public television stations throughout the country in July. The program airs in New York City on Thirteen/WNET, Channel 13, on Sunday, July 27, at 11:30 a.m.*
Hosted by pianist Christopher O’Riley, the From the Top at Carnegie Hall series showcases America’s most extraordinary young musicians from 8 to 18, capturing the excitement of a Carnegie Hall performance both onstage and off. It gives a behind-the scenes look at a typical rehearsal conducted by YPC Artistic Director and Founder Francisco J. Núñez and a glimpse into how Mr. Nunez’s vision of combining diversity and musical excellence forever changes the lives of its members. The segment concludes with the chorus singing Luis Kalaff’s Guayacanal and Panta Rhei, a work commissioned by the chorus from Jim Papoulis, a composer who combines contemporary sounds with musical traditions from around the world.
From the Top at Carnegie Hall is a co-production of WGBH, From the Top, and Don Mischer Productions in partnership with Carnegie Hall.
*For stations and times, please to go to the From the Top Web site at www.pbs.org/wgbh/fromthetop/pages/ or e-mail tvcomments@fromthetop.org
YPC Divisions compete in international competitions
July is an eventful month for the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. In addition to the national telecast of From the Top at Carnegie Hall, three of the chorus’s five divisions are competing in international choral competitions and performances in Europe and Canada.
This month Mr. Núñez takes the Concert Chorus and Young Men’s Division to the World Choir Olympics in Graz, Austria, where the two divisions will defend the gold medals they won in the 2004 Choir Olympics in Bremen, Germany. Following the Olympics, they will travel to Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague where the two YPC divisions will sing in the 2008 Rhapsody Music Festival.
In North America, YPC Associate Conductor Elizabeth Núñez and the Cantare Division of the YPC, are heading Powell River, British Columbia for the International Kathaumixw Festival and Competition, hoping to repeat the YPC’s gold medal-winning performances of 2002.
Transient Glory Concert a success!
A full house of buzzing audience members happily anticipated the Young People’s Chorus of New York City’s Transient Glory VII concert at the Miller Theater on Sunday afternoon, April 27. They already knew the program and knew the names of the composers, but the compositions were all premieres, so no one yet knew what surprises Francisco Núñez and the chorus had in store for them this time.
Terrence McKnight, fresh from Atlanta and the new host of WNYC’s Evening Music program, spoke with each of the composers for some insight into their compositions, even Joan Tower, one of the most successful woman composers of all time, who could not be in the theater because she had just broken her knee. Through the magic of technology, she spoke to Mr. McKnight and the audience about Can I, her very first choral work, through a connection on Mr. Núñez’s laptop.
The music that afternoon—The Song I Sing by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty; Every Stop on the F Train by composer Michael Gordon in collaboration with filmmaker Bill Morrison; Semaphore Conductus by Bora Yoon who joined the chorus in its performance; Joan Tower’s Can I; Fortune by Douglas J. Cuomo; and Warabe-Uta, by Japanese composer Ko Matsushita in his U.S. debut—won cheers and a standing ovation from the delighted and appreciative audience.
New York Times Transient glory Preview - April 25
"Most composers lust after commissions from orchestras, opera companies and string quartets. Fewer have children’s choirs high on their wish lists. But Francisco J. Núñez hopes to change that with his remarkable Young People’s Chorus of New York City, above, and its Transient Glory series, which continues on Sunday at the Miller Theater."
Transient Glory VII - April 27 at the Miller Theater
You thought last year’s Transient Glory program was pushing the envelope? Wait until this year! Douglas J. Cuomo’s Fortune is based on an ancient Taoist tale that will have the chorus members accompanying themselves on homemade percussion instruments.
Just as interesting is Bora Yoon’s Conductus Semaphore. Bora Yoon is also a performance artist and will actually perform this piece with the chorus, but her description is very mysterious. She describes Conductus Semaphore as “a choral sound installation sung in surround, inspired by the conduction of energy, the language of signals, and sound. The surround choir with thereminist Elizabeth Brown, create a stereophonic performance piece, incorporating altered early music techniques of Latin conductus through hocket, vintriloquated double choir, and antiphonal calls through the history and evolution of signaling and sound devices.”
And remember Michael Gordon’s “Every Stop on the F Train”? Well, it returns this year, but with a film component by Michael Gordon’s film collaborator Bill Morrison. Their recent collaboration called Dystopia performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic in January was huge success. The LA Times called it “dazzling.”
NY Daily News Article - 4/12/08
"Pope Benedict will be serenaded during his Mass at Yankee Stadium by some of the sweetest voices in New York.
The Young People's Chorus, which brings together teenage singers from every corner of the city, was picked to perform inspirational songs for the pontiff and a huge crowd at the Stadium.
"Singing has changed my life," said Althea John, 15, of Brooklyn. "To get to sing in front of the Pope means so much to me."
Audiophile reviews Transient Glory II CD
"Don’t let the fact that this is a young person’s chorus turn you off to this remarkable recital. As you can see in the heading, the composer list is quite formidable, and this album contains some incredible music that is rendered with love and highly competent execution. " -- Steven Ritter, Audiophile
read the full article on our Transient Glory CD page...
Buy Transient Glory II from our store.
YPC Sings for the Pope
The Young People’s Chorus of New York City will have the honor of singing for Pope Benedict XVI on his first trip to the United States as Pope. On Sunday, April 20, the third day of his New York City visit, the chorus will sing at a huge outdoor Mass at Yankee Stadium. For updates on the Pope’s visit, go to http://www.ny-archdiocese.org/
YPC on TV!
The Young People’s Chorus of New York City will be featured on “From the Top: Live from Carnegie Hall", the new TV series based on the popular NPR radio program hosted by Christopher O’Riley that showcases the talents and the offbeat stories about America’s best classical musicians…like the members of the Young People’s Chorus. “From the Top” will tape the program at Carnegie Hall the middle of March. Afterwards, check our Web site for the air date.
New YPC CD released!
Works by Dominick Argento, Geoffrey Burgon, David Del Tredici, Tod Machover, Bright Sheng, Judith Weir, and Others are Included on this Vital Records CD
On January 8, the Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) and its Artistic Director and Conductor Francisco J. Núñez release their second recording of new works commissioned and premiered as part of their Transient Glory concert series. Entitled Transient Glory II, this recording on the Vital Records label comprises 11 compositions that were commissioned by or for the Young People’s Chorus of New York City from Dominick Argento (Orpheus), Geoffrey Burgon (Shirtless Stephen—and the Children’s Crusade), David Del Tredici (Four Heartfelt Anthems), Kevin James (NYC Play Ground), ), Benjamin Lees (The Nervous Family), Tod Machover (I Dreamt a Dream), Michael Nyman (A Child View of Colour), Jim Papoulis (Panta Rhei), Bright Sheng (The Boatmen’s Song), Nils Vigeland (Miracles), and Judith Weir (Little Tree). Most of these composers had never before written for a children’s chorus.
or Buy through ITunes (requires ITunes software installed on your computer)
YPC Sells Out Carnegie Hall
The Young People’s Chorus of New York City, initially founded by Artistic Director Francisco J. Nunez in 1988, celebrated their 10th anniversary as an independent chorus with a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall in October.
YPC Ensures its Legacy
One hundred thousand dollars of the proceeds from the Carnegie Hall gala in October was matched by a generous $200,000 gift from the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust towards the establishment of an endowment to ensure the future of the Young People’s Chorus in perpetuity, with special emphasis on scholarships for underprivileged children and music commissions.
YPC Continues to Grow
Young People’s Chorus of New York City now comprises five divisions. Just added is the Cantare Division. The chorus’ after-school program now numbers 300 young people from ages 7 to 18 in the Prelude Division (7-10-year-olds), Intermezzo Division (10-15-year-olds), Cantare Division (advanced 11-16-year-olds), Concert Chorus (12-18-year-olds), and Young Men’s Chorus (males 13-18 whose voices have changed).
Auditions
Adding a new YPC division means an opportunity for more children to be a part of this life-changing program. To audition, call 212-289-7779 and ask for Shirley Delgado.
Concert Chorus and Young Men’s Chorus To Defend Their Gold Medals
Two divisions conducted by Francisco Nunez—the Concert Chorus and the Young Men’s Chorus—will defend the gold medals they won in the 2004 Choir Olympics in Bremen, Germany, when they compete this July in the 2008 Choir Olympics in Graz, Austria.
Cantare, New to the Competition Scene, Heads For British Columbia
At the same time, Cantare, the new YPC division conducted by Elizabeth Nunez, has qualified to compete at the Kathaumixw International Choral Competition
YPC Tapped by Neil Young
Listen for the Young People’s Chorus of New York City singing The Way on Neil Young’s acclaimed new recording, Chrome Dreams II.
YPC on the Orient Express
The choristers of the YPC will soon be getting out their Japanese-American translation books again for their return to Japan in July 2009—25 Japanese cities in four weeks.
YPC Welcomes New Staffers
YPC welcomes new assistant conductors Amy Kotsonis and Sophia Miller.
PAST PERFORMANCES & RECENT NEWS
Satellite Schools "When You Believe" Concert, 6/21
CHILDREN FROM “YOUNG PEOPLE’S CHORUS OF NEW YORK CITY” SATELLITE SCHOOLS IN MANHATTAN, BRONX, AND BROOKLYN TO BE FEATURED IN FREE CONCERT AT THE 92ND STREET Y SATURDAY, JUNE 21
The award-winning Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) will shine the spotlight on the children who participate in the chorus’s Satellite program in Manhattan, Bronx, and Brooklyn schools in “When You Believe,” the fifth annual Satellite Schools concert, to take place at the 92nd Street Y on Saturday, June 21, at 4 p.m.
The children from PS 1 (Chinatown), PS 75 (Upper West Side), PS 130 (Chinatown), PS 161 (Harlem), PS 268 (Crown Heights, Brooklyn), MS 269: Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists (South Bronx), HS 515: Lower East Side Preparatory School (Lower East Side) have been practicing throughout the school year for this special concert. Groups of students from each school will sing individually in programs that include songs in many languages, such as Hebrew, Spanish, and Chinese, embracing Broadway, Classical, Latin, Jazz, Folk, and Gaelic styles. All of the children will come together at the concert’s end to raise their voices in Breakin’ Free from “High School Musical” and the YPC anthem by Jim Papoulis, Give us Hope.
“When you Believe” takes place at the 92nd Street Y (at Lexington Avenue) on Saturday, June 21, at 4 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
The YPC’s Satellite program provides each school with a YPC-trained music educator/choral conductor skilled in the organization’s performance-based curriculum and a professional pianist/accompanist. The conductors meet with the children once or twice each week and are taught to read and write music, learn interpretative disciplines and healthy vocal skills, and to sing in unison and in two- and three-part harmony.
The annual Satellite concert at the 92nd Street Y is the high point of each year for these children, but in addition, the Satellite choruses are all prepared to perform at in-school assemblies and events throughout the year. Moreover, they are often invited to participate in YPC performances, which this past October included the YPC’s sold-out 10th anniversary concert at Carnegie Hall.
Conducting the Satellite School choruses are Sophia Miller (P.S. 268 and Bronx Studio School), Amy Kotsonis (P.S. 1, 75, and 161); and Elizabeth Nunez (P.S. 130).
YPC Spring Concert, June 7th
Come hear what the New York Times calls, "Luminous...Radiant...Musically Excellent"
The Young People's Chorus of New York City
Spring Celebration: A Family Concert
Saturday, June 7th at 7:00pm
92nd Street Y Kaufmann Concert Hall
(92nd Street at Lexington Avenue)
Usher in Summer with all 300 choristers age 7-18 as they perform songs from classical to Broadway, folk to jazz in this annual spring concert. Members of your family will leave singing these unforgettable songs which feature the versatility, style, and energy of the YPC.
For tickets, please call the 92nd Street Y Box Office: 212-415-5500
YPC Annual Winter Concert 12/22 @ 7pm
Come hear what critics are raving about as all five YPC divisions take the stage to celebrate the season in song! This festive family program will include much-loved traditional, holiday music which embraces many cultures, nationalities and faiths.
YPC Winter Concert
Saturday, Dec 22 @ 7pm
92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall
Call 212-415-5500 for tickets!
Featuring all five choral divisions.
Conductors:
Concert Chorus - Francisco Nunez
Cantare - Elizabeth Nunez
Intermezzo - Amy Kotsonis
Young Men - John Pamintuan
Prelude - Elizabeth Nunez and Sophia Miller
Pianists: Jon Holden, Ju-Ping Song
YPC Performance at Victor Hugo, 12/11/07
The Young People's Chorus of New York City will be performing at the Victor Hugo Fundraiser on Tuesday, December 11th. Join us from 5:30-8:30 pm at
Victor Hugo
520 Madison Ave.
For an entire week shop at Victor Hugo with Invitation or an In-store promotional card. 10% of your purchase will benefit the YPC.
Shaping Lives Through Music
Mark your calendars. The award-winning Young People's Chorus of New York City (YPC) and its artistic director and founder Francisco J. Núñez are celebrating their 10th anniversary as an independent chorus with a joyous benefit concert taking place at Carnegie Hall Monday, October 22 at 7 p.m.
Read more about the star-studded cast, as well on information on how to get tickets!
New York Times Review, 9/13/07
Singing to Raise a Day's Spirit
People mattered more than music at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Tuesday. The sixth September Concert noting the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, shared in spirit with thousands of similar commemorations around the world, offered three choruses and plain-spoken music. Msgr. Robert T. Ritchie spoke briefly at the beginning and end.
Read the full article at NYTimes.com
YPC featured in Gramophone Article, August 2007
The recent Bang on a Can marathon concert was written up in Gramophone magazine. Download a pdf version of the article here to read all about the 26-hour-long concert and all the performers, including The Young People's Chorus of New York City!
NY Post Feature - "Chorus Line: Working to Build Harmony"
by Rita Delfiner
August 3, 2007 -- Get ready to sing "Happy Birthday" to Francisco Nuñez's Young People's Chorus of New York City.
Nuñez, who two years ago won a Liberty "Ambassador" Medal for founding the choir with the goal of making it as multicultural as the city, will celebrate its 10th anniversary as an independent chorus this October with a gala concert at Carnegie Hall.
"My dream was to bring children of diverse backgrounds together because there are so many kids that can relate to music," said Nuñez, the artistic director. "The dream has come true."
New YPC video! "In Our Children's Eyes"
From the July 4th Telecast, featuring Tony-award winner Anika Noni Rose and The New York Pops, conducted by Rob Fisher.
New York Times Article, 7/12
Music Review | Young People's Chorus of New York City
Hitting All the Stops and High Notes of a Subway Ride
By ALLAN KOZINN
Published: July 11, 2007
There is a lot to be said for children's choirs, both in musical terms - when they are at their best, they produce a pure tone that adult choirs cannot match - and in terms of the social relationships they foster, to say nothing of the affinity for performance they create among their young charges.
Francisco J. Núñez, who directs the Young People's Chorus of New York City, has been raising the bar over the last decade by commissioning a steady stream of works from composers who usually write for adults and weaving them into programs that include choral classics, spirituals, theater songs and pop arrangements.
YPC Updates
A new track has been added to the YPC Audio Player! From the disc "Musical Fireworks" by The New York Pops, conducted by Rob Fisher, the track In Our Children's Eyes (ft. Anika Noni Rose and the YPC) is now available for streaming!
The YPC blog has also been updated with a new post by a chorister, Nikaury Roman:
"...I advise all choristers to interact with people they usually would not. My advice is to not wait for the last minute, like I did, to meet new people because they can be gone the next day. I love the YPC Seniors '07 and wish them the best in life. Now I can officially say I knew you guys. You are all amazing. You will be missed. I love you."
Read the rest of the post and more at the YPC Blog.
YPC on NY1
The Young People's Chorus of New York City performed "Every Stop on the F Train" with Bobby Cuza of New York 1 televison on Thursday morning, April 19th, at the F train station on 47th Street and Sixth Avenue. "Every Stop on the F Train" is a new work composed by Michael Gordon for the Transient Glory VI concert on Saturday, April 21st, 7:30 PM, at the 92nd Street Y Kaufmann Concert Hall.
BBC Music Magazine Article
The Young People's Chorus of New York City was recently featured in a BBC Music Magazine Article discussing the upcoming Transient Glory concert. An excerpt:
Voices of the Streets
by Brian Wise
To see them filing on stage wearing their pastel blue shirts and multicoloured scarves, you might think the Young People's Chorus of New York City is just another cute group of kids singing earnest choral music with simple, uplifting messages. Then they start singing pieces with big topics - sexual identity, war, mental illness or the holocaust. They use extended vocal techniques (sighs, chants, moans, drones) and texts in unfamiliar languages such as Swahili, Hebrew or Native American dialects. And the composers they present have name recognition beyond the margins of the choral music world.
read the full article (PDF)
"The September Concert: An Evening of Remembrance and Celebration"
On the sixth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the Young People's Chorus of New York City (YPC) under its artistic director Francisco J. Núñez will join the New York Choral Society and the Cathedral Choir of St. Patrick's in "The September Concert: An Evening of Remembrance and Celebration" at St. Patrick's Cathedral (Fifth Avenue and 50 th Street) on Tuesday, September 11, at 7 p.m. The chorus will sing four inspirational works-Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine, Stephen Hatfield's Heaven Bound Train, Jim Papoulis's Stand Together, and Kadiq by Francisco J. Núñez-and to close the concert will join the New York Choral Society conducted by the NYCS conductor John Daly Goodwin in singing the moving and uplifting Freedom Trilogy by composer Paul Halley.
"The September Concert" at St. Patrick's Cathedral is free and open to the public. Seating begins at 6:30 p.m. This concert is being presented by the September Concert Foundation.
"The September Concert" is a series of free musical events held on September 11th with the goal of uniting people around the globe through the power of music. All are welcome to attend and to participate in bringing communities together and reaffirming our hope for peace with concerts organized throughout New York City, the United States and worldwide. For more information on the September Concert Foundation and to find a concert near you, please visit www.septemberconcert.org .
Tuesday, September 11, at 7 p.m.
St. Patrick's Cathedral ( Fifth Avenue and 50 th Street )
Young People's Chorus of New York City
New York Choral Society
Cathedral Chorus of St. Patrick's
David Ralph, piano
Greg Landes, percussion
Bang on a Can Marathon Concert - June 3
The YPC will be participating in this year's 26 hour long Bang On A Can Marathon Concert! This FREE concert begins Saturday June 2nd at 8pm and runs until 10pm the next day.
The concert takes place at the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center and is co-presented by the River to River Festival and World Financial Center Arts & Events.
A Mid-Summer Night's Dream at the Met - May 25-31
The YPC joins The American Ballet Company for an exciting series of performances at the Metropolitan Opera House later this month. From the ABT website:
There is, perhaps, no happier ode to the illusory nature of love than Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream , and Ashton's beguiling retelling of this comedy of errors is set in the magical woods of Victorian England to a spellbinding score by Felix Mendelssohn.
Transient Glory Broadcast - May 29
Every year, WNYC public radio celebrates the contemporary music scene with a week-long series of broadcasts featuring great music. This year's American Music Festival runs from Saturday May 26 to Sunday June 2.
The YPC is proud to be featured in a re-broadcast of its latest Transient Glory Concert on May 29th at 10pm on WNYC 93.9 FM. To listen from the web, point your browser to WNYC.
THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S CHORUS OF NEW YORK CITY SINGS WORLD PREMIERES OF FIVE NEWLY COMMISSIONED WORKS IN TRANSIENT GLORY 2007
AT THE 92ND STREET Y SATURDAY, APRIL 21, AT 7:30 P.M.
Program Includes New Works from
Bruce Adolphe, Michael Gordon, Meredith Monk,
Ned Rorem, and Tarik O'Regan
The Young People's Chorus of New York City (YPC) and artistic director and YPC founder Francisco J. Nunez return to the 92nd Street Y, where the chorus is in residence, on Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. for their sixth Transient Glory concert. The concert will be hosted by John Schaefer of Soundcheck and New Sounds on WNYC, New York Public Radio, where YPC is the first-ever resident radio chorus of any New York radio station, and will be taped for later broadcast.
Tickets for the April 21 Transient Glory performance are $25 ($10 for parents and students) and are available at the 92nd Street Y box office (Lexington Avenue and 92 nd Street) or by calling the 92nd Street Y at 212-415-5500.
"For Those I Loved: An Evening With Holocaust Survivor Martin Gray - April 15th
As a boy, Martin Gray lost his family and friends and suffered cruelty, torture and betrayal. Yet he survived against all odds and grew up to speak for those he loved and lost so they would be remembered. On the evening of Yom Hashoah, hear his tragic yet inspiring story firsthand and join others to mourn our losses and celebrate the triumph of the human spirit.
Sunday, April 15th
7:30 pm
The 92nd Street Y
This event is FREE
"A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen" - April 5th
On thursday April 5th, The Yound People's Chorus of New York City performed at Carnegie Hall to benefit the UJA-Federation of NY Initiative Program to Support Music Education for Underprivileged Young People.
Also performing were:
Jewel
Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds
Josh Ritter
Pete Yorn
Steve Earle
Badly Drawn Boy
...and many others
For more information and tickets, please visit www.carnegiehall.com.
Article on Oratorio Terezin, concerts February 7th and 8th
Voices of the Shoah
by George Robinson
Ruth Fazal had finished reading the book and put it on a shelf, but a year later she knew that she would have to do something with it.
The book was "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," a collection of children's writings and art from the Terezin Ghetto, a concentration camp "city" that the Nazis had created from an 18th-century village northwest of Prague, a camp that in its several years of use included some 15,000 children among its prisoners.
Oratorio Terezin in Concert
A full length work scored for symphony orchestra, children's choir, adult choir, and three vocal soloists. Set in the context of the Holocaust, Oratorio Terezin uses for it's Oratorio text , children's poetry which miraculously survived from the ghetto of Terezin, woven together with passages from the Hebrew scriptures.
2/7 at The Tilles Center
8:00 pm
C.W. Post campus
Long Island University
Brookville, NY
Buy
Tickets Online
or call 516-299-3100
2/8 at Carnegie Hall
8:00 pm
New York City
Buy
Tickets Online
or call 212-247-7800
Martin Luther King Day Celebration Concert, Jan 15
DREAM WITH US...
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Holiday Concert
with
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The Young People's Chorus of New York City
-
The Boston Children's Chorus
-
The Chicago Children's Chorus
Jordan Hall, 7pm SOLD OUT
290 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA
for tickets, call 617-778-2242
Live telecast on WCVB-TV Channel 5 in the Boston Area
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