Aug. 23, 2022 —In an effort to highlight the importance of high school choirs, Ventura County area high school students are being invited to audition this Fall for the (CSUCI) University Chorus.
Auditions are currently underway for high school students, non-student members of the community along with CSUCI students, faculty, and staff for the 2022-2023 concert season. Inviting high school students to audition and participate in a university-level chorus is part of “Project: Lights On,” which is aimed at re-energizing high school choral singing by providing an opportunity for high school singers to perform with professional orchestras at major concerts.
“By doing so, we are creating a healthy feeder program for CSUCI’s music program while inspiring young artists to become contributors to their communities through the arts,” said Dean Butler, President of the Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA), which sponsors the University Choir as well as the Pleasant Valley School District Chorus.
“We are getting closer and closer to helping area high schools turn the lights back on in their choir rooms,” Butler said. “Walk onto many area high school campuses and ask to see their choir room and I think you will get some strange looks. Those rooms just don’t exist or have been converted into storage spaces.”
High school students were part of the CSUCI University Chorus in June of 2022, when—under the direction of CSUCI Associate Professor of Music KuanFen Liu—performed at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, inspiring a standing ovation, two curtain calls and an invitation to return.
“It was encouraging to see so many high school students sharing the stage with us in performance at Carnegie Hall this summer,” said Liu, who holds a doctorate in Musical Arts and is also CICA’s Artistic Director. “I really believe that this was an extraordinary experience that made a positive impact in their lives, and they will treasure it for a long time.”
The “Project: Lights On” 2022/2023 performance season will have a multigenerational focus, Liu explained with the chorus rehearsing first for the winter concert, entitled “De Colores, A Choral Celebration of Colors & Cultures” scheduled for Friday, Dec. 2 in Camarillo and Sunday, Dec. 4 in Santa Paula.
In addition to the high school singers who become part of the University Chorus this Fall, Santa Paula and Ventura High School singers will join the choir for both performances.
In April, CICA along with the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra, will present their annual “Choral Spectacular!”
“I have chosen music for this performance with the young student voice in mind,” Liu said. “High school students will be able to have their own chance to sing a prepared piece, a combined piece, and then a grand finale piece with the added excitement of a full symphonic orchestra.”
The “Choral Spectacular!” is scheduled for April 22 and 23, 2023 and will include a full performance of American composer Dan Forrest’s “Jubilate Deo.”
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