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Fauré: Requiem

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall

Acts

Erin R. Freeman, Guest Conductor

Fauré: Requiem

Erin Freeman conducts Fauré's best-known large work. Its focus is on eternal rest and consolation, scored for soprano and baritone soloists, mixed choir, and organ..

Jodi Reed, Director

Mater Dei High School Choir

Also Featuring:

Kristen Plumley, Soprano

Colin Levin, Baritone

James D. Wetzel, Organ

Participating Groups

Vancouver Master Chorale

Silverdale Lutheran Church Choir

Richmond Symphony Chorus

The Covenant Community of Jesus the Good Shepherd Choir

Diamondback Singers

Plainfield High School & Tolland High School Chamber Choirs

Mater Dei High School Choir

Special Guests

Artist's Name

Erin R. Freeman

Artist's Name

Jodi Reed

Artist's Name

Kristen Plumley

Artist's Name

Colin Levin

Artist's Name

James D. Wetzel

Press & Marketing

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Photo Gallery

Photo credit: Richard Termine

Participating Group Directors

Vancouver Master Chorale
Jana Christianson Hart

Jana Christianson Hart has been directing Vancouver Master Chorale, a large choral society from Southwest Washington, for 12 years. After beginning her career as a singer, appearing with Santa Fe, Los Angeles and Long Beach Opera Companies, she fell in love with choral conducting. After teaching vocal and choral music privately and in Washington schools and colleges, she is happily retired and enjoys her family, her garden and her choir! Thanks to DCINY for this thrilling experience.!

Vancouver Master Chorale will soon celebrate its 75th year presenting outstanding choral music to Southwest Washington. We present a diverse concert season of significant choral works, ranging from Brahm's requiem and Messiah with full orchestra to a concert performance of Music Man. In past years the choir has toured to Europe, Scandinavia and New York. We have successfully negotiated Covid restrictions and safety protocol this year to present a full concert season. We are thrilled to return to Carnegie Hall and thank DCINY for making this possible.

Silverdale Lutheran Church Choir
Justin Cormier
Justin Cormier, Director of Music at Silverdale Lutheran Church, Silverdale, WA developed and taught methods for virtual choir singing via video conferencing. He led his choir in the virtual recording of over 150 songs through the pandemic, culminating in the first virtual conferencing presentation of Faure's Requiem. With a B.A. in music from Seattle Pacific University and an M.A. in music education from Boston University, Justin has been involved in sacred music since his youth - as singer, director, composer, organist, multiple instrumentalist and sound engineer. He is an emeritus member of the Compline Choir at St. Mark's Cathedral, Seattle.
As the first church in its area to venture into virtual choirs due to the pandemic, Silverdale Lutheran Church developed the material and methods to transition to virtual choir singing for over 150 hymns and anthems and shared these resources with the sacred music community. Music Director Justin Cormier has developed the methods to present songs with a video of a choir singing together as a group and mixing in individually recorded remote singers creating a unified presentation. The group present sacred songs ranging from baroque to bluegrass and beyond, including a virtual Faure Requiem.

Richmond Symphony Chorus
Erin Freeman
Erin Freeman is Director of the Richmond Symphony Chorus, Artistic Director of Wintergreen Music, Resident Conductor of Richmond Ballet, Director of Choral Activities at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Artistic Director Designate of The City Choir of Washington. Guest conducting includes the Buffalo Philharmonic, Symphonique Bel’Arte, South Carolina Philharmonic, and the symphonies of Virginia, Portland (ME), Savannah, Charlottesville, and Williamsburg. She has conducted at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, La Madeleine, and Boston Symphony Hall, and was nominee (2021) and finalist (2019) for Performance Today’s Classical Woman of the Year. Freeman holds degrees from Northwestern University, Boston University, and Peabody Conservatory.
Founded in 1971 by James Erb to perform Missa Solemnis under the baton of Robert Shaw, the Richmond Symphony Chorus is an award-winning, auditioned, all-volunteer ensemble of 150 members from throughout the Richmond region. They perform regularly with the Richmond Symphony, Richmond Ballet, and in stand-alone performances around the community.  The chorus members, ages 16-85, are a diverse group – teachers, medical professionals, attorneys, business leaders, students – all sharing a love of choral singing. Under the direction of Erin Freeman, they have performed in Paris, at the Kennedy Center, and at Carnegie Hall with DCINY.

The Covenant Community of Jesus the Good Shepherd Choir
Katie W. Evans
Katie holds a degree in Music from The Catholic University of America, in Washington, DC and has performed in the metropolitan area at many local theaters, concert halls, churches, and stadiums. She has sung for Pope John Paul II in an invited audience with her Chamber Choir in college, and has also sung the Mezzo/Alto roles in Elijah and Handel’s Messiah locally. She has conducted for several ensembles, including the 2009 ISCF Choral Festival with over 300 women voices at the National Cathedral, Washington DC. Some of her favorite stage roles include, Maggie in A Chorus Line, The Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol, and Daisy Mae in Li’l Abner. Her favorite ensemble to direct is her children: David, Mary, and Michael.
The Covenant Community of Jesus the Good Shepherd is a Roman Catholic parish located in Southern Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay. A very active choir, they sing a wide variety of liturgical music styles during Sunday Masses and on Holy Days. The choir has also sung for TV Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on EWTN. Fauré’s Requiem is deeply meaningful to our choir and congregation as it is sung during our parish’s annual Mass of Remembrance.

Diamondback Singers
Jonathan Dolan
Jonathan Dolan first formally studied music at Irvine Valley College, where he received an Associates in Voice. From there, he studied music at California State University, Fullerton, earning a bachelors in Choral Music Education; and finished his student teaching at Corona del Mar High School. Jonathan has toured both as a singer and conductor in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and Serbia; and while in Slovakia, Jonathan’s choir won first place in the Bratislava Youth Festival. Currently, Jonathan is enjoying a rich and fulfilling career as the choral director at Serrano High School.
The Diamondback Singers are a mixed a cappella choir from Serrano High School. The members of Diamondback Singers rehearse entirely a cappella, striving for excellence in vocal technique, musical literacy, and musical ability. The Diamondback Singers specialize in a plethora of genres, ranging from medieval to contemporary choral music.

Plainfield High School & Tolland High School Chamber Choirs
Brian Stevenson & Noah Fields
Brian Stevenson has been the Director of Choirs at Plainfield High School in Central Village CT for 15 years, after first serving as the Choir director at Portland High School in CT. During his time at PHS, the choirs have had many wonderful performing opportunities including the Berklee jazz Festival, competitions around the Eastern US, and performing with DCINY for 6 concert series. PHS is excited to be welcomed back to the Carnegie Hall stage this year!
Plainfield High School Chamber Choir is the auditioned choir at PHS, comprised of students in the 10th-12th grades. These students are the most public face of our program, performing at events and festivals throughout CT and the Eastern US.

Mater Dei High School Choir
Jodi Reed
Jodi Reed and her husband are the parents of six children. A conductor and pianist, Jodi has had lifelong involvement in choral music. In her eighth year of teaching, Jodi has been the director of two accomplished high school choral programs and was the first female conductor to place first at the prestigious Golden State Choral Competition, which she has since won several times. Her choirs have placed first at numerous national competitions in New York, Chicago, Nashville, and Seattle. Some notable performances include conducting her Chamber Singers on NPR’s nationally syndicated radio show From the Top, reaching over a million listeners, selected by blind audition to perform at the 2018 American Choral Directors Association Conference, international concerts at the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, the Bilbao Guggenheim, La Sagrada Familia, and a full concert in 2019 under her baton in Carnegie Hall and the beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Her choirs have received honors for their beautiful tone and artistry throughout the country and internationally. In addition to her work with Mater Dei High School Choirs she is the California conductor with Millennial® Choirs & Orchestras. Jodi holds degrees in piano performance, a master’s degree in choral conducting, and is currently finishing up her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Claremont Graduate University. Her mentors include Buddy James, Laurel Brettel, Ted Reid, Susan Bana, and Dottie Nix. In addition to spending time with her family, Jodi enjoys scuba diving and any time spent at the ocean.
The Mater Dei High School Choral and Vocal Program is one of the most active choral programs in Southern California with 11 ensembles made up of 250 students comprised of students active in all areas of campus including athletics, the arts, ASB, campus ministry and more! Each individual ensemble travels annually throughout the United States bringing home superior ratings from competitions and festivals. The choir performs a broad range of music, focusing on a cappella literature and large choral works, and has toured extensively in the United States and Europe. From the Metropolitan Opera stage to Broadway, alumni are continuing the tradition of artistic excellence instilled in students in the Mater Dei Choral and Vocal Music Program. Most importantly, however, the Mater Dei Choirs pride themselves in the spiritual growth of each and every singer and ringer. The choirs sing regularly for mass, for numerous ordinations, and special celebrations including the National Catholic Educators’ National Convention.