The University Glee Club of New York City Returns to Carnegie Hall, 1/18

The University Glee Club of New York City, the venerable all-men's choir established over a century ago to encourage male singing of the highest excellence, returns to Carnegie Hall to launch its 120th anniversary on Friday, January 18, at 7 p.m. Conducted by Francisco J. Núñez, the fifth conductor in UGC's history, the concert also features the gorgeously rich sounds of two other esteemed men's choirs, the Harvard Glee Club and the U.S. Naval Academy Men's Glee Club, as well as the Solisti Ensemble, an 11-piece string ensemble.

The January 18 program opens with Mr. Núñez conducting more than 100 members of the University Glee Club in the world premiere of a work it commissioned from composer Stephen Paulus, When Thou Commandest Me To Sing.

The three men's choirs will sing a wide variety of music ranging from classical and jazz to gospel, spirituals, and college songs. In a special highlight, as part of each of their sets, the three choirs-UGC, the Harvard Glee Club conducted by its Director of Choral Activities Dr. Andrew Clark, and the U.S. Naval Academy Men's Glee Club conducted by Dr. Aaron Smith--will each sing one of Poulenc's Quatre Petites Prieres de St Francois d'Assise. They will come together to sing the fourth prayer in the closing portion of the program, along with Franz Biebl's Ave Maria.

The program also features the Solisti Ensemble under its Artistic Director Byung-kook Kwak, who will perform works by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Rhapsody after Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" by Russian-American composer/violinist Albert Markov.

Tickets, at $50 and $100, are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, from CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, or online at www.carnegiehall.org

As one of its mandates as a charitable organization, the UGC is donating a portion of the proceeds from the January 18 Carnegie Hall concert to the Bloomingdale School of Music, which, under its Executive Director Lawrence Davis, provides high quality music education, regardless of ability to pay, to some 750 students of all ages. More information from http://www.bsmny.org/

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