Monday, Feb 7, 2011
February 19 in the Princeton University Chapel
by Anne Sears
The Westminster Symphonic Choir will present a concert entitled Cathedral Classics on Saturday, February 19 at 8 p.m. in the Princeton University Chapel.
The program will include classic works for choir and organ especially suited for the Princeton Chapel’s majesty. Amanda Quist will conduct William Walton’s Coronation Te Deum and Gerald Finzi’s God is Gone Up. Graduate student conductors Christopher Jackson and Kieun Steve Kim will conduct works by Benjamin Britten, Herbert Howells, William Mathias, Felix Mendelssohn and more. They will be joined by organist Eric Plutz.
Composed of students at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, the Westminster Symphonic Choir has recorded and performed with major orchestras under virtually every internationally known conductor of the last 75 years. Recognized as one of the world’s leading choral ensembles, the choir has sung more than 350 performances with the New York Philharmonic alone. In addition to this performance, the ensemble’s 2010-2011 season includes performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the New Jersey Symphony conducted by Jacques Lacombe with the Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with Dresden Staatskapelle conducted by Daniel Harding, and Carmina Burana with the Westminster Festival Orchestra conducted by Joe Miller.
In her first year as a member of the Westminster Choir College faculty, Amanda Quist also conducts the Westminster Chapel Choir and shares conducting responsibilities for the Westminster Symphonic Choir with Joe Miller. Additionally, she is a member of the faculty of the Westminster Chamber Choir/Festival Chorus program, which is held in Princeton each summer. Dr. Quist earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas. She received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Music Education and Choral Conducting, summa cum laude, from Western Michigan University. She has received numerous awards as a teacher and conductor, including the prestigious James Mulholland National Choral Fellowship, the Texas Choral Directors Association Professional Scholarship and the Audrey Davidson Early Music Award. Before joining the faculty of Westminster Choir College, she was director of choral activities at San José State University where she conducted the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Women’s Chorus and taught conducting and voice. An active adjudicator and clinician, she will conduct the Nassau All County and Bucks County Choral Festivals this spring, as well as present for Westminster Saturday Seminars throughout the year.
Eric Plutz is university organist at Princeton University. There his responsibilities include playing for weekly services at the Chapel, Academic Ceremonies, solo concerts and accompanying the Chapel Choir in services and concerts. He is also rehearsal accompanist for the Westminster Symphonic Choir. Acclaimed as “an intrepid player” by James Hildreth of The American Organist, he has made two solo organ CD recordings on the E. M. Skinner/Mander organ at the Princeton University Chape
Admission to the performance is $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 609-921-2663. For updates visit www.rider.edu/arts.