NORTH BETHESDA, MD – Strathmore began 2013 by actualizing a long-held dream—to create a children’s choral ensemble—and now, the new Strathmore’s Children’s Chorus will host its premiere public concert on Monday, June 10, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. The chorus will commemorate its first performance with a repertoire of all Jim Papoulis songs featuring three world premieres, including the Strathmore-commissioned piece “The Dawn of a Journey.” The 130 members of the Strathmore Children’s Chorus (SCC) will be joined on stage by members of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras, Holton-Arms Upper School Chorus and the A. Mario Loiederman Middle School Chamber Choir. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

 

SCC Artistic Director Christopher Guerra selected an all-Papoulis program to reflect the diversity of the chorus and their home of Montgomery County. Papoulis is known for blending music from different global influences into cohesive arrangements with positive messages for young people. This illustrates one of the SCC’s core values: to celebrate the diversity of Montgomery County with a repertoire focused on composers, songs and global music traditions.

 

The Strathmore Children’s Chorus currently consists of three ensembles, all of which will be heard during their debut public performance: Treble Chorus, for children who are early in their vocal music education, ranging in age from 8-12 years; Concert Chorus, an advanced vocal ensemble for students 10-17 years of age; and the Young Men’s Chorus, an ensemble for singers 13-17 years of age with changed voices.

 

A fourth ensemble, a Training Chorus for children ages 7-9 years, is being added for next season. Auditions for the 13-14 season begin Saturday, May 18 and continue through Saturday, September 7, 2013. A complete schedule is available on the chorus’s website, www.strathmorecc.org.

 

Strathmore presents and produces exemplary visual and performing arts programs for diverse audiences; creates dynamic arts education experiences; and nurtures creative ideas and conversations that advance the future of the arts. The hallmark of the arts center is the Music Center at Strathmore, a 1,976-seat concert hall and education complex. The Music Center at Strathmore is located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda, MD, one half-mile north of the Capital Beltway and immediately adjacent to the Grosvenor-Strathmore station on Metro’s Red Line. For those attending a ticketed performance at the Music Center at Strathmore, parking in the Metro garage is complimentary with your ticket.

Jim Papoulis inspires the combined ensembles of the Strathmore Children's Chorus at a recent tech rehearsal.