A Vision of Light
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall
This thrilling three-act concert will feature powerful pieces that bring forth messages of light, including Pederson's A Vision Unfolding, Gjeilo's Ubi Caritas, and Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna. Under the masterful batons of Dr. Irene Messoloras and Kenney Potter, hundreds of voices will soar these beautiful works through Carnegie Hall.
Acts
Kenney Potter, Guest Conductor
Pederson: A Vision Unfolding
Irene Messoloras, Guest Conductor
Gjeilo: Ubi Caritas & Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna
Featuring the Bethel Choir from Bethel University (MN), Merrin Guice Gill, Director
Elliott Bark, Director
Crean Lutheran High School Symphony Orchestra (CA)
Also Featuring:
Kyle Pederson, DCINY Composer-in-Residency & Piano
Shanelle Gabriel, Spoken Word Artist
Participating Groups
Bethel Choir
Barrington United Methodist Church Chancel Choir (IL)
Longmont Chorale
UCI Choir
Mynderse Academy Varsity Chorus
Irmo High School Chorus
Peninsula Community Chorus
Spirit Song Choir
Angeles Chorale
Crean Luther High School Chamber Choir & Saints Singers
Gloria Deo Academy Choir
Special Guests
Artist's Name
Irene Messoloras
Artist's Name
Kenney Potter
Artist's Name
Kyle Pederson
Artist's Name
Elliott Bark
Artist's Name
Shanelle GabrielPress & Marketing
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Participating Group Directors
Bethel Choir
Merrin Guice Gill
The Bethel Choir is the flagship choral ensemble at Bethel University and features 50 collegiate choral artists. Throughout its 75-year history, the choir has garnered a fine reputation as a result of the critical acclaim it has received for performances throughout the United States and abroad. Members of the choir come to Bethel, a private Christian university in Saint Paul, MN, from across the country and pursue studies in a wide range of majors within the liberal arts. The choir tours annually in the United States and has performed internationally on a regular basis for over fifty years.
Dr. Merrin Guice Gill is the Director of Choral Activities and Chair of the Department of Music at Bethel University, where she directs the Bethel Choir and Festival Choir and teaches voice. She has conducted across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, presented papers and research throughout the U.S., and is President Elect of the National Collegiate Choral Organization. A trained soprano, Dr. Guice Gill has performed with Cincinnati Opera, the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, as soloist with composer Stacey Gibbs at Carnegie Hall, and for the Minnesota Singers performance of Damien Geter’s Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow.
Barrington United Methodist Church Chancel Choir (IL)
Patricia Hughes Mangis
Barrington United Methodist Church Chancel Choir is a volunteer choir of 25 members which leads worship each Sunday September to May. We perform an extended work annually, most recently the Faure Requiem; previously Rutter Requiem, Taylor Scott Davis’ Magnificat, Pepper Choplin’s I Hear the Prophet Callin’ and Rutter Gloria. Nearly half our singers also sing in local community choirs. Choir members serve in our church’s garden which annually donates 15,000 pounds of produce to food banks, and in other food security initiatives such as our monthly community meal, working at local food banks and CROP Walk.
Patricia Hughes Mangis serves as Director of Music and Worship Arts at Barrington United Methodist Church (Illinois). For over 25 years she has directed choirs at Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist and Presbyterian churches in Wyoming and Illinois. She sings in Hinsdale Chorale and previously sang in Vox Caelistis. Hughes Mangis is a graduate of the University of Wyoming (BM) and Wheaton College (Illinois; MA). She is also a trained spiritual director.
Longmont Chorale
Nathan Wubbena
The Longmont Chorale is over one hundred singers strong and our city’s oldest choral tradition, stretching back to the 1930’s! The Chorale is open for membership to singers of all ages; we are one of the few non-auditioned premiere ensembles in our area and welcome all singers, regardless of their skill or experience. We continue to perform top choral works at a high level, and aim to provide mountaintop experiences for our audiences and singers alike. The Longmont Chorale places an emphasis on collaboration with a variety of local organizations, in addition to performing yearly with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra.
Nathan Wubbena is an accomplished conductor and performer known for his engaging, skilled, and kind approach to teaching and conducting, with ensembles consistently receiving high praise. He has worked with singers of all ages, from elementary to adults. Nathan holds a Master’s in Music Education with a Conducting Specialization and has served as a guest clinician and conductor across Colorado. He is the Children and Community Youth Repertoire & Resources chair for SWACDA. He firmly believes music is for everyone and is dedicated to creating an environment where music and collaboration bring beauty and joy to both performers and listeners.
UCI Choir
Irene Messoloras
The UC Irvine Choral Program showcases two vibrant ensembles that reflect the university’s commitment to artistic excellence and inclusivity. The UCI Chamber Singers, an auditioned flagship group of 40 singers, includes vocal performance majors and students from diverse fields. Recently recognized with second place in the American Prize for best choral performance, the ensemble has premiered works at Walt Disney Concert Hall and Carnegie Hall and released their first commercial release with Signum Records in 2024. The UCI Concert Choir, a non-auditioned mixed-voice ensemble, unites students, faculty, staff, and community members in performances celebrating cultural diversity, social justice, and choral masterworks.
Mynderse Academy Varsity Chorus
Anna Luisi-Ellis
Varsity Chorus is open to all students in grades 9-12 at Mynderse Academy. Members of the Varsity Chorus perform in All-State, Area-All-State, or All-County ensembles every year. Many of our students perform in the Drama Club shows, and 88% of our singers play at least one sport. We perform for local businesses and organizations for special events throughout the year, making our music program an essential, highly-valued part of our community.
Anna Luisi-Ellis is from Watertown, NY. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education (Voice) from Ithaca College and received the prestigious Peggy R. Williams Award for Excellence in Academic and Community Leadership. She has performed twice at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, in Carmina Burana and Verdi's Requiem. She taught vocal music and piano at Westlake High School in Waldorf, MD, for three years and has been the Vocal Music Director in Seneca Falls since 2011. She has directed over twenty-five shows in her community. She has her Masters in Music (Conducting) from Colorado State University.
Irmo High School Chorus
Frank M. Turner
The Irmo High Choral program is made up of three levels: Beginner Chorus, Concert Choir and Chamber Choir. Choirs at Irmo have received superior ratings at the South Carolina Music Educator's Association Concert Performance Assessment. IHS Chorus students are actively involved in state events such as: the American Choral Directors Association Honor Choirs, All-State Chorus, Solo and Ensemble Festivals, and other events. The Irmo High Concert Choir has won Festivals with World Strides and Music in the Parks Festivals at Carowinds. A "Vision Unfolding" will be the second time Irmo High has participated in a DCINY production.
A native of Jackson, MS, Frank Turner is in his 8th year as Choral Director at Irmo High School in Columbia, SC. At Irmo, he serves as Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, Music Director for musical theatre productions, and a coaching teacher for several colleges and universities. For three years, he served as the lead teacher for secondary chorus in Lexington-Richland 5 School District. Mr. Turner is a graduate of Mississippi College (Clinton, MS) with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and the University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC) with the Master of Arts in Teaching- Music Education Degree. Frank also serves as the Director of Music at Union United Methodist Church in Irmo and the Assistant Artistic Director of the Palmetto Mastersingers, a community men’s choral ensemble. Mr. Turner has been a clinician for honor choirs throughout the state of South Carolina.
Peninsula Community Chorus
Staci Webb
The Peninsula Community Chorus has been proud to perform fine choral music in Gig Harbor, Washington for over sixty years. The chorus welcomes adult singers of all ages and abilities. We are a non-profit organization
dedicated to bringing the joy of choral music to our community and the Puget Sound area. We strive to perform, create, and enjoy music together, while building community and enriching the lives of our members and audience through the power of choral artistry. We are excited to be singing at Carnegie Hall!
Staci Webb received her Bachelors degree in Music from CSU, Sacramento and has been a music educator for thirty years. In addition to directing school choirs, Mrs. Webb served as Music Worship Director at the Brentwood United Methodist Church in Brentwood, California and was the founding director of the Brentwood Community Choir. Mrs. Webb served as the Managing Director of the Bellevue Youth Choir in Washington and has been the Artistic Director of the Peninsula Community Chorus since 2017. She received her National Board Teaching Certification in 2015 and is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and Nafme.
Spirit Song Choir
Mary Vaaler Reimann
Spirit Song Choir is an independent, ecumenical community choir, gathering singers from a wide range of traditions, and with varied musical and life experience. Everyone is welcome. Spirit Song is dedicated to singing and sharing music that feeds the spirits of our members as well as those we serve. In addition to offering free concerts to the public, Spirit Song has a dedicated outreach to senior living communities.
Mary Vaaler Reimann is a lifelong singer who grew up in a musical household. She holds a BA from Luther College, and an MA from the University of Connecticut. At Luther, she sang in the Nordic Choir under the direction of Weston Noble. She later sang with the Mystic River Chorale and the Maryland Choral Society. After more than 30 years as a Music Director, serving faith communities in Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, and Minnesota, she became the founding director of Spirit Song Choir in 2019. She believes that singing together in community can help bring healing to our world.
Angeles Chorale
Irene Messoloras
The Angeles Chorale is honored to be celebrating it's 50th Season by participating in this beautiful concert at NY Carnegie Hall under the Artistic Direction of Dr. Irene Messolores. The Angeles Chorale's mission is to engage, enrich and inspire our audiences, singers, and our diverse community by performing great choral music with a passionate commitment to excellence, and to increase access to and appreciation of choral music in greater Los Angeles.
Crean Luther High School Chamber Choir & Saints Singers
Dr. Elliott Bark
Crean Lutheran High School Chamber Choir & Saints Singers demonstrate musical excellence within a Christ-centered environment that celebrates the Performing Arts. Crean Lutheran’s choral ensembles were selected to have a solo performance at the Chicago Symphony Hall. The ensembles performed at many renowned venues, such as Segerstrom Concert Hall, Irvine Barclay Theatre, and Disneyland. The choral ensembles have performed from traditional music, such as Brahms’s A German Requiem, to newly-composed songs with innovative collaborations with Jazz Band. Crean Lutheran High School, a National Blue Ribbon School, is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the National Lutheran Schools Association (NLSA). Crean Lutheran strives to proclaim Jesus Christ through excellence in education.
Described by the New York Times as “…abrasive outbursts…monstrous climax…yearning melody in a rapturous surge,” music by Dr. Elliott Bark (b.1980) has been performed in numerous renowned concert halls including Stern Auditorium of Carnegie Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Seoul Arts Center, and Aspen Music Festival. Dr. Bark was named the youngest composer to win The Korean National Composer Prize (the most prestigious award for Korean composers) twice in a row (2012, 2014). He received his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, studying music composition and orchestral conducting at Indiana University. As a conductor, he studied with numerous renowned conductors including Jorma Panula. (www.elliottbark.com)
Gloria Deo Academy Choir
Sharon Wilkins
The Gloria Deo Classical Academy Choir is in its third year of being part of the very stringent academic curriculum. The choir includes students in grades 7-12 and rehearses in two thirty-five minute class periods each week. The choir has participated in activities sponsored by the Missouri State Activities Association and in a competition sponsored by Silver Dollar City. Several GDA students are honored to have accepted the invitation to perform in this concert in Carnegie Hall.
Sharon Wilkins, a high school, university and community choir director for 5 decades has directed concerts in all 50 States and 23 foreign countries, including four at Carnegie Hall. Her professional honors include Who's Who Among American Teachers, Who's Who in American Education, nominations for Outstanding Young Woman in both Springfield and in America. Sharon has held offices in Missouri Music Educators Association and in the American Choral Director's Association. In addition to continually directing church choirs, she served as musical director for the Springfield Little Theatre, Springfield Regional Opera, and a local Christian arts organization that traveled throughout Europe and Asia.