Press Kit 2018/19 LOS ANGELES NEW YORK WASHINGTON, D.C. Walt Disney Concert Hall One of the finest children s choirs in the world today. Grant Gershon
Our Mission Statement 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 2 NATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHORUS Booking and press inquiries, please contact info@ncchorus.com
Our Vision Statement A world where choral music powerfully nourishes awareness of our most important human values. Xi an, China 3 NATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHORUS Booking and press inquiries, please contact info@ncchorus.com
Our Unique History 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. 4 NATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHORUS Booking and press inquiries, please contact info@ncchorus.com
NCC at a Glance Our Community Our Team 712 students 32 worldwide venues 1,275 donors 15 conductors 10 full-time staff 16 musicianship instructors 9 private voice instructors 5,000 live audience members 9 pianists 325 schools represented 11 production support staff 5 NATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHORUS Booking and press inquiries, please contact info@ncchorus.com
Our 2018/19 Season 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 6 NATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHORUS Booking and press inquiries, please contact info@ncchorus.com
Performance Media VIDEO LINKS TOMORROW SHALL BE MY DANCING DAY John Rutter Lincoln Center, NYC SICUT CERVUS (MASS PERFORMANCE) Palestrina St. Mark s Basilica, Venice, Italy SLEEP (SATB) Eric Whitacre Lincoln Center, NYC AUDIO DOWNLOADS SYMPHONY 1997 Tan Dun Disney Hall, LA SNOW ANGEL Sarah Quartel Lincoln Center, NYC YALDEI HAOR (NCC COMMISSION) Sharon Farber Lincoln Center, NYC 7 NATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHORUS Booking and press inquiries, please contact info@ncchorus.com
Recent Domestic Venues Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, New York 8 NATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHORUS Booking and press inquiries, please contact info@ncchorus.com
Recent International Venues Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford Matthias Church, Budapest St. Peter s Basilica, Vatican Musikverein, Vienna Great Wall of China, Beijing Berlin Wall, Berlin 9 NATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHORUS Booking and press inquiries, please contact info@ncchorus.com
"amazing" Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre "pitch perfect" Washington Parent Magazine "winning virtuosity" LA Times "accomplished" LA Philharmonic "phenomenal" British choral composer John Rutter "absolutely stunning" Fox News "the best" Grammy-winning composer Tan Dun "incredible" ABC News LOS ANGELES NEW YORK WASHINGTON, D.C. nationalchildrenschorus.com