It’s one of the greatest thrills a musician can experience. Stephen Futrell, an associate professor and chair in the Department of Music, has been invited to conduct a concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall next summer – and he wants to take Elon students with him to participate in the performance.
Futrell makes a return to Carnegie Hall on June 28, 2010, four years after his initial appearance as a guest director. At Elon, Futrell arranges concerts featuring students in Camerata and Chorale. And it’s from those two groups that he’s recruiting the singers who will join him onstage.
His efforts come as preregistration begins for the fall semester. Futrell is encouraging all Elon students to consider auditioning for Camerata, and though they usually take place in the fall, students can contact him to indicate their interest and schedule an audition this spring.
Chorale, conducted by assistant professor Gerald Knight, is open for registration by all students, regardless of major, without audition.
Futrell is also exploring the idea of inviting alumni to participate.
“It would be nice to have an Elon constituency,” he said. “They can have a great experience performing a masterwork of choral repertoire on one of the world’s most renowned stages.”
Produced by MidAmerica Productions in New York City, the concert will feature singers from elsewhere who perform at Carnegie Hall as part of a learning experience that includes a tour of New York. MidAmerica contracts with choral conductors and educators to direct the mass choir.
The tour package also includes a four-night stay in a Manhattan hotel and a post-concert evening cruise to view the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline. The cost for the tour is extra for students who take part in the performance. Tuition does not cover the voluntary participation.
Futrell will rehearse the choir for several days before directing the performance of Schubert’s Mass in G. He previously sang at Carnegie with the University of Missouri at Kansas City’s Heritage Chorale while earning his doctor of musical arts degree.
Students interested in performing at Carnegie Hall can learn more about the program by contacting Futrell at 278-5681 or futrell@elon.edu.