Conductor Christopher Munce To Make Carnegie Hall Debut On Easter Sunday

On Easter Sunday, April 17, Christopher Munce returns to Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage under the auspices of MidAmerica Productions. The last time he performed at Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica, he was a high school junior singing in the choir. This time, he will be making his Carnegie Hall conducting debut during the second concert of MidAmerica Productions' 39th season.

For this performance, Mr. Munce chose Proud Music of the Storm and Into the Light, two works by GRAMMY-nominated composer Jake Runestad. "I chose this set because of the text first," he explained. "It all centers around hope, optimism, and the dream of a better future. I think now, more than ever, young people need inspiration that better days are ahead. Jake's setting of these texts does a masterful job of creating that vision."

The Lee's Summit High School Choir from Lee's Summit, Missouri, which Mr. Munce directs, will make up half of the choir during this performance. "We have been integrating our Carnegie Hall repertoire into our curriculum all year," Mr. Munce said. "The music is well prepared, and we are excited to collaborate with the instrumentalists to take it to the next level."

Performing onstage alongside the Lee's Summit High School Choir will be the Marlborough Chamber Choir from Los Angeles, California, led by Angela Lin. The Marlborough Chamber Choir has performed at Carnegie Hall multiple times - four or five, according to Ms. Lin - but even so, her singers are still enthusiastic about the opportunity. "We are thrilled to be returning to Carnegie Hall," Ms. Lin said. "My singers have been looking forward to this trip all year!"

The concert on April 17 will have four portions with one intermission after the second. Mr. Munce's portion, and thus, his conducting debut, will take place after intermission in the third portion of the concert.

Headlined by the New England Symphonic Ensemble (Preston Hawes, artistic director), the concert on April 17 will begin with Jenny Bent at the podium. She will lead three choirs in a performance of Brahms' Schicksalslied and Ola Gjeilo's Dark Night of the Soul:

• The Santa Rosa Junior College Concert Choir, Santa Rosa, Calif. (Jody Benecke, director)
• Sonoma State Symphonic Chorus, Rohnert Park, Calif. (Jenny Bent, director)
• Reedley College Choir, Reedley, Calif. (Kirstina Rasmussen Collins, director)

After a brief transition, Seán Boulware will conduct Mark Hayes' Gloria, which will feature vocal soloists Sydney Kucine, soprano; Jenni Bank, mezzo-soprano; Joseph Sacchi, tenor; and Erik Earl Larsen, baritone. He will be joined by five ensembles, two of which he directs, two of which are directed by his wife:

• Aria Women's Choir, Monterey, Calif. (Seán Boulware, director)
• Monterey Peninsula Voices, Monterey, Calif. (Seán Boulware, director)
• Pacific Grove High School Breaker Choir, Pacific Grove, Calif. (Michelle Boulware, director)
• Pacific Voices, Santa Cruz, Calif. (Crista Berryessa, director)
• Salinas High School A Cappella Choir, Salinas, Calif. (Michelle Boulware, Director)

After Mr. Munce's conducting debut following the intermission, Karl Chang will take the stage to conduct the Crystal Concert Choir (Diana Lin, director), Crystal East Choir (Ying Wu, director), Crystal Ensemble (Chiafen Lin, director), and Crystal South Choir (Jane Li, director), all from California's bay area, in a varied program of choral works including Z. Randall Stroope's "Inscription of Hope," John Rutter's "For the Beauty of the Earth," and an arrangement of the Chinese-language song "Da Yu (Big Fish)" from the award-winning film Big Fish and Begonia.

Tickets for this concert in Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage are $20, $50, $75, $100, or $150. They may be obtained by contacting CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue in New York, N.Y., or by going online to www.carnegiehall.org. For more information, contact Molly Waymire at molly.waymire@piptix.com.