| The 150-voice Westminster Symphonic Choir opened Carnegie
Hall’s 2007-2008 season with a dynamic performance of
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Lucerne
Festival Orchestra conducted by David Robertson. Appearing
before a glittering audience of New York’s movers and
shakers – not to mention Rider friends and trustees
who enjoyed a black-tie pre-performance reception –
the choir and orchestra earned a seven-minute standing ovation
and five rounds of bows. Anthony Tommasini of The New
York Times praised “the terrific Westminster Symphonic
Choir ….well prepped by its conductor, Joe Miller.”
The International Herald Tribune termed
the performance “strong.”
Women from the Westminster Choir also performed Mahler’s
Symphony No. 3 with the orchestra a few days later,
also earning critical praise.
The Symphonic Choir returned to Carnegie Hall on October
18 to perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”
with the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Franz Welser-Möst.
Bernard Holland of The New York Times wrote of
the choir’s performance: “Joe Miller’s
Westminster Symphonic Choir was subtle when asked and powerful
when turned loose.”
Since their 1934 performance of Bach’s B Minor
Mass with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra,
choirs from Westminster Choir College have performed with
virtually all of the world’s leading orchestras. The
2007-2008 season marks the first time that Westminster’s
choirs have performed with five leading orchestras during
one season. In addition to the Lucerne and Cleveland orchestras,
Westminster’s ensembles will also perform with the
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic
and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Complete reviews are on the Web at http://www.rider.edu/888_1122.htm.
Discounted tickets for some of these performances are available
through the Westminster box office.
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