Newsroom

CORVALLIS - The Oregon State University Chamber Choir will perform its "Bon Voyage Concert" on Friday, June 6, beginning at 7:30 p.m in the First United Methodist Church in Corvallis.

The concert will be the Chamber Choir's final appearance in Corvallis before embarking on a two-week tour of Europe with concerts in the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany.

The OSU Chamber Choir is OSU's premier choral ensemble and includes 26 select singers. Steven M. Zielke directs the choir.

The first half of the concert will feature a section of a cappella motets including Mendelssohn's "Richte mich, Gott," and Reger's "O Tod, wie bitter bist Du."

Also included will be compositions by two of American's most exciting young composers. "Lux Aurumque" was composed by Eric Whitacre who, at just 33, is a noted conductor, teacher and producer of both symphonic and choral works. Even younger is Joshua Shank, age 23, whose first published composition, "David's Lamentations," earned him instant national acclaim. Written while an undergraduate at Luther College, he later became the youngest composer ever awarded the prestigious Raymond W. Brock Student Composition Award from the American Choral Directors Association.

The first half will continue with "Suite de Lorca," a set of songs composed by the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, to the texts of Federíco García Lorca. Rautavaara utilizes driving rhythms, mournful harmonies, and piercing dissonances to dramatically set Lorca's poetry.

The first half will conclude with a set of songs by the American composer, Norman Dello Joio, including "A Jubilant Song," which sets the poetry of Walt Whitman. Nicola Nine-Zielke, OSU staff accompanist, will be featured on piano.

The second half opens with Vaughan Williams's "Mystical Songs" for baritone, choir, and piano. Richard Poppino, director of vocal and opera studies at OSU, will be featured as soloist on the songs, which are set to poetry by George Herbert. The concert will conclude with a selection of spirituals and gospel songs.

The Chamber Choir's European tour will include presentations of a cappella works in Salzburg, Stuttgart, Prague, and Brno. The choir will also sing with the Czech National Orchestra in Smetena Hall in a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. The tour will conclude with a concert with the University of Stuttgart orchestra in a performance of Dvorak's "Te Deum" under the baton of Zielke.

The choir has toured extensively, both in the United States and internationally, including a 1997 tour to China, and a 2000 tour to Bulgaria during which the choir was honored with the Choral Festival of Light most outstanding choir award. Its members include students preparing for professional careers in music education, performance, and composition, as well as in computer science, engineering, nuclear physics, business, education, and liberal studies Admission to the Bon Voyage Concert is $5 at the door for adults. Students will be admitted free.