| Artistic Director Elena Sharkova
of Cantabile Youth Singers will take the baton as guest conductor
for Manhattan Concert Production’s National Children’s
Choral Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York, June 24-26, 2005.
44 singers of Cantabile’s Concert Choir and Chamber
ensembles, from Foster City through San Jose, along with
over 200 youth
singers from across the nation, will spend two days participating
in individual clinic sessions, rehearsals and workshops under
Professor Sharkova’s direction. Participants will present
a final concert on the famed Carnegie Hall stage. Cantabile
Youth Singers have the great honor of also presenting their
own 20-minute selection of repertoire for the evening’s
programming on June 26. An additional forty parents, staff
and supporters will join for the trip that also includes
New
York sightseeing and cultural activities.
Maestra Sharkova
was the guest conductor for the 2004 festival held in San
Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall and will
again hold the baton at the January 2006 festival back at
Carnegie Hall.
The Carnegie Hall festival caps a distinguished
11th season for Cantabile Youth Singers. Highlights included
appearances
in Tosca and Carmen as
the newly appointed resident children’s
chorus for Opera San Jose. Cantabile singers also made guest
appearances with San Jose State University Choirs at their
annual scholarship and spring concerts.
This is Professor Sharkova’s
first season as Artistic Director, having taken over from
founding director Signe Boyer, who retired
in 2004. “I am delighted to be working with the accomplished,
dedicated, and talented Cantabile singers. It is a great
opportunity to enhance young singers’ lives and share
their talents with appreciative audiences.”
Professor Sharkova
began her career working with children in St. Petersburg,
Russia, and Cantabile has taken her back
to her
musical roots. “Children are a special cosmos of joy,
creativity, talent, and emotion, and I find great rewards
in helping them find their voices within. We are all looking
forward
to experiencing Carnegie Hall, one of the great performing
venues in the world.”
Cantabile Youth Singers is part
of the Cantabile Choral Guild and the Foothill College Performing
Arts Alliance and welcomes
dedicated singers ages 6-18. Auditions are held June 20 and
21 by appointment for fall season and kids are also invited
to join Cantabile’s Summer Music Day Camp August 8-12. |
