press kit 2018/19 - homepage - national children’s chorus
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Press Kit 2018/19LOS ANGELES | NEW YORK | WASHINGTON, D.C.
“One of the finest children’s choirs in the world today.” — Grant Gershon
Walt Disney Concert Hall
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The National Children’s Chorus transforms the lives of young people, empowering them to effectively lead society toward the ideals of artistic excellence, cultural openness, and social justice.
Ancient City Wall, Xi’an, China
Our Mission StatementU N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
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A world where choral music powerfully nourishes awareness of our most important human values.
Xi’an, China
Our Vision StatementU N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
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The National Children's Chorus, under the leadership of Artistic Director Luke McEndarfer and Associate Artistic
Director Dr. Pamela Blackstone, is quickly establishing itself as one of the world’s leading children’s choirs, with a set of
20 ensembles and more than 700 students, based in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Performing locally
and abroad, the National Children's Chorus is one of few youth arts organizations in America to have its concert series
presented by professional music halls. Tracing its lineage back to the 1904 inception of the Paulist Choristers in Chicago,
the National Children's Chorus has garnered a superb reputation for musical excellence, and amassed an impressive
résumé of experience. Its groundbreaking
Season 2018/19, entitled Starlight, expands
on the chorus’ recent success, featuring an
array of stunning repertoire, demonstrating
the organization’s firm commitment to new
music, world culture and extraordinary
professional collaborations.
Collaborating with some of the finest music companies in the nation, the group has performed live with the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Opera Company, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Joffrey
Ballet, the Kronos String Quartet, Center Theatre Group and Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, under the direction of
such distinguished conductors as Gustavo Dudamel, Grant Gershon, James Conlon, Paul Salamunovich, Helmuth Rilling,
John Rutter, Stephen Layton, David Alan Miller, John Mauceri, Eric Whitacre and Esa-Pekka Salonen, with whom the
ensemble recorded Mahler's Symphony No. 3 in D minor, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the Sony Classical
Label. Notable premieres have included music by composers Stephen Cohn, Ibrahim Maalouf, Eric Whitacre, Tan Dun,
Sharon Farber, Morten Lauridsen, Rufus Wainwright, Sage Lewis, and soon, Meredith Monk and Nico Muhly. In addition,
the National Children's Chorus has been featured on numerous movie and television soundtracks, including on screen
for Paramount Pictures and its 2009 film Imagine That, starring Eddie Murphy. Through the years, the group performed
numerous times as the musical act on
Jay Leno's former Tonight Show, and its
members are regularly contracted as
solo artists for professional engagements
both in the studio and on stage, including
principal roles on Broadway and in opera.
Recent television appearances have
included special features on CNN, ABC,
NBC, CBS and Fox networks.
Our Unique HistoryU N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
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NCC at a GlanceU N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
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15conductors
32worldwide
venues
10full-time
staff
9private voiceinstructors
712students
1,275donors
16musicianship
instructors
5,000live audience
members 9pianists
11production
supportstaff
325schools
represented
Our TeamOur Community
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Our 2018/19 SeasonU N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
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The National Children’s Chorus of the United States proudly celebrates its 10th Anniversary with Starlight, an
unprecedented 2018/19 Season that launches the organization to its highest levels of creative excellence, as it
becomes one of the largest and most exciting choral institutions in the world. Led by Artistic Director Luke McEndarfer
and Associate Artistic Director Dr. Pamela Blackstone, Starlight, which focuses on artistic ingenuity and explores
relationships between science and music, has been crafted with innovation at the forefront, featuring an unparalleled
programmatic design of exquisite repertoire presented through the year. Following memorable appearances this past
summer in Berlin, Vienna, Prague and Budapest, students of the NCC will sing in multiple performances on both coasts,
with more than 700 students taking the stage under a unified vision for music as a global force of hope. Professional
collaborations include works with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, American Youth Symphony, and Grammy-winning
soprano Jessica Rivera, under the baton of notable conductors Gustavo Dudamel and Carlos Izcaray, among others.
Top venues this year and next consist of Walt Disney Concert Hall and Royce Hall in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln
Center in New York, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. World premieres include a new piece by composer
Nico Muhly in March 2019 as part of the LA Phil’s centennial, followed two months later by the orchestra’s first-ever
Disney Hall performances of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 (Symphony of a Thousand). As part of Starlight, the lineup
of extraordinary music goes further to highlight the students’ singing virtuosity with masterworks by Benjamin Britten,
Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky and Alexander Scriabin. In July 2019, the chorus will embark on its 5th international tour
to Asia, singing at key sites throughout Korea and Japan. SEE OUR UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
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Performance Media
SLEEP (SATB)Eric WhitacreLincoln Center, NYC
SICUT CERVUS(MASS PERFORMANCE) Palestrina St. Mark’s Basilica, Venice, Italy
TOMORROW SHALL BE MY DANCING DAY John RutterLincoln Center, NYC
V IDEO L INKS
SNOW ANGELSarah Quartel Lincoln Center, NYC
YALDEI HAOR (NCC COMMISSION)Sharon Farber Lincoln Center, NYC
SYMPHONY 1997Tan Dun Disney Hall, LA
AUDIO DOWNLOADS
U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
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Recent Domestic VenuesU N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
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Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York
The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York
Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, New York
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Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford
Recent International VenuesU N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
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Matthias Church, Budapest
St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican
Berlin Wall, Berlin
Musikverein, Vienna
Great Wall of China, Beijing
"winning vir tuosity"— LA Times
"accomplished"— LA Philharmonic
"incredible"— ABC News
"amazing"— Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre
"absolutely stunning"— Fox News
"pitch perfect"— Washington Parent Magazine
"the best"— Grammy-winning composer Tan Dun
"phenomenal"— British choral composer John Rutter
LOS ANGELES | NEW YORK | WASHINGTON, D.C. | nationalchildrenschorus.com