UB Choir to perform at second annual ChoralFest USA

Under the direction of Harold Rosenbaum, the UB Choir has performed in Carnegie Hall and for the United Nations General Assembly. Now, members of this year’s group are looking forward to performing in New York City next month, the choir’s 10th trip to the Big Apple.

The choir will perform at ChoralFest USA, a free, marathon concert featuring more than a dozen choirs, each selected through an application process from among the best in the tri-state area.

ChoralFest will take place from 3-10 p.m. June 4 at Symphony Space on Broadway. The annual event was conceived and presented by Rosenbaum, UB associate professor of music, director of choruses and an internationally renowned interpreter and conductor of choral music.

“ChoralFest was created to be a celebration of the diversity of choral music in America,” Rosenbaum says. “The concert format presents a showcase of talented choirs from the New York City area and beyond.

The UB Choir is the university’s premier choral ensemble. Open by audition to students of all majors, the choir presents two concerts annually in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall on the North Campus. The ensemble’s repertoire ranges from the 16th century to the present and has included works commissioned specifically for the choir.

“The singers who are in the choir now are the most talented group I have had in my 16 years directing choirs at UB,” Rosenbaum says. “The students put in as much as three-and-a-half hours of rehearsals per week — this year on consecutive days — which is a considerable time commitment.

“You never know who will be in the choir from semester to semester, and it is wonderful to provide them with the opportunity to perform in ChoralFest.”

Rosenbaum adds that for this year’s ChoralFest, the UB Alumni Association has purchased blocks of tickets to the event for UB alumni in the New York City area.

“The alumni association is hosting a reception for UB alumni and my students in Bar Thalia in Symphony Space before the concert begins,” Rosenbaum says.

The UB Choir will be the second group to perform in the marathon concert. Rosenbaum said alumni attending ChoralFest will have an opportunity to meet UB students who are in the choir after the choir rehearses and before it performs.

“The UB Choir will perform four pieces,” Rosenbaum says. “For the final piece, the UB students will be joined on stage by 17 singers from the first choir, which will be conducted by my daughter, Jeanette Pincus.”   

The 2015 ChoralFest was a first-time event and, Rosenbaum says, a huge success. “All of the choirs performed beautifully. They were at their best, singing music that they clearly loved. The atmosphere was one of shared excitement and a commitment to both singing and listening to choral music.

“Our hope for ChoralFest is to give choirs public exposure in an important New York City venue, to inspire choir directors to explore the vast repertoire of American and other choral music for future concerts, and instill and reinforce a love of choral music to audience members.”

Rosenbaum notes the contemporary American choral repertory is enormous and growing.

“Contemporary composers’ works, inspirational music, sacred music, American folk tunes, show tunes and music stretching back to the Renaissance are all being performed by choirs, including UB’s,” he says.

Rosenbaum cites two performances by the choir in New York City as perfect examples. One featured Verdi’s “Requiem,” performed in Carnegie Hall with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and Rosenbaum’s New York City and Westchester choirs. Another featured a performance of movie soundtracks by the composer Ennio Morricone — conducted by Morricone — that featured UB’s choirs and New York City choirs in the UN General Assembly.     

Rosenbaum directs both the UB Choir and UB Chorus. A larger group whose size is not limited, the chorus performs large-scale works, such as Brahms’ “Requiem,” Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” and Haydn’s “Creation.” The UB Choir, Rosenbaum says, is a smaller group of 30-50 members that requires a higher level of music sight-reading skills and a greater time commitment from its members.

In addition to directing UB’s choirs, Rosenbaum also heads the university’s graduate program in choral conducting.

As part of his continuing support and mentorship of aspiring choral conductors, Rosenbaum also founded The Harold Rosenbaum Choral Conducting Institute, an annual program of workshops held at UB, Columbia University, Wesleyan University, Queens College and Adelphi University.

Additional information on ChoralFest can be found at the event’s website.