A 21-member choir from Scarsdale High performed recently in a program at New York City's Carnegie Hall.
Photo credit: Contributed photo

SCARSDALE, N.Y. – Life is returning to normal for a group of Scarsdale High School choir members, according to their director, John Cuk.

"They were on a cloud for days," Cuk said of the 21 singers who took part in a sold-out concert Feb. 5 at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall. "They felt like rock stars around the school. It almost overshadowed the Giants' win in the Super Bowl."

Choir members were Barbera Julie Beizer, Victoria Cuomo, Rachel Gaujean, Gabi Grisanti, Ana Halperin, Rachel Hymes, Clare Kaune, Camilla Kearns, Katie Keltz, Sarah Lenchner, Nicole Lipstein, Melissa Litton, Rachel Mar, Nicole Mar, Sarah Nayar, Meera Newman, Ilana Rooney, Kathleen Torres, Emily Tussing, Matthew Yankowitz and Emily Yankowitz.

The group was part of program called the Carmina Burana Choral Project. Each year, Carnegie Hall presents a large-scale creative learning project in which local students rehearse and perform a major work in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with a professional orchestra, professional soloists, and a well-known conductor.

The Scarsdale students were joined by groups from Brooklyn High School for the Arts, Brooklyn Technical High School, Fordham High School for the Arts, Forest Hills High School, Fort Hamilton High School, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts and Mark Twain I.S. 239 for the Gifted & Talented.

Presented by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute, the project explored Carl Orff's cantata, "Carmina Burana," as well as original works by three high school-aged composers from across the U.S. selected to write new works to receive their world premiere performances as part of the program. These composers were 16-year-old Anthony Constantino from Tucson, Ariz. ("Thus It Was"), 14-year-old Gabe Smallwood from Florence, S.C. ("Dies Irae") and 16-year-old Thomas Reeves from New York City ("A Man's Life").

"The concert went very well," Cuk said. "The choir was excited to sing in the hall with the conductor, David Roberston of the St. Louis Symphony, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. The audience was enthusiastic and appreciative. There was a favorable review in The New York Times by music critic Anthony Tomasinni the next day."