When the Young People’s Chorus of New York City received an invitation to represent North America at the 2012 World Choral Summit in China, Francisco Nunez — the founder and artistic director of the chorus — was thrilled, but not entirely surprised. Since its start in 1988, the Young People’s Chorus has received numerous honors and awards for its stellar performances around the globe. Nunez, a 2011 MacArthur Fellow, describes the chorus as an “artistically viable and an incredibly multicultural choir,” completely deserving of such an honor. Still, one of his biggest challenges was to narrow down a selection of music to represent the United States and its widely diverse background.
He called fellow choir director Phillip Burnell for advice. Burnell simply responded, “Do what you do.” Appreciating his friend’s confidence and trust in his ability to prepare an impressive repertoire, Nunez got to work. His vision was to create something more than a traditional choral performance, instead, an event with staging that would capture the heart of the U.S. Under his direction and the choreography of Jacquie Bird, 43 members of the Young Men’s Chorus and Concert Choir began a demanding two-week rehearsal schedule, practicing everyday from 10 am to 5 pm, before departing for China.
The invitation came from the International Federation of Choral Music, an organization committed to facilitating communication and exchange between choral musicians throughout the world. The 11th annual China International Chorus Festival and World Choral Summit took place in Beijing in mid July. Internationally renowned choral leaders and world-class choirs came together to share their musical talent, individual perspectives, and passion through a series of concerts, workshops, and discussion groups. The theme of the summit was “Voices in Harmony.” The Young People’s Chorus of New York City joined other choruses from Europe, Africa, South America, Australia, and Asia to share their different cultures.
The Opening Ceremony was a great success. Ten thousand people packed the MasterCard Center, and international TV channels were there to document the event. During its visit, the Young People’s Chorus held two-hour concerts at the Guangzhou Opera House and the Chinese Conservatory of Music. The singers delivered flawless vocal and dance performances that had the audience on its feet by the end of the performance.
The choristers performed the first half of the program in their formal uniforms, and then switched to a classic Americana look inspired by Broadway musicals like “Showboat,” “Ragtime,” and “Newsies.” The boys dressed in caps and vests to capture the feeling of old New York. The girls wore long white dresses and carried white parasols, reminiscent of Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations.” Nunez’s selections ranged from the Renaissance to the contemporary periods and included music from the Amazon, Latin America, and China. They sang classical and traditional music, Shaker hymns, folk songs, gospels, spirituals, and contemporary pieces.
Chorister Ada Huang blogged about the audience’s enthusiasm when they performed “Oye” as an encore.
“The whole song was an amazing experience because in the heart of the moment, we decided to bring children up on the stage, and mothers were practically throwing children in our arms to dance with us,” she wrote. “We sang with all the people who came to see us and the ending was so full of power and love.” This was especially significant because it was Huang’s first visit to Guangzhou, her family’s hometown.
Lu Wei and the late Anne Ofstedal, the parents of choristers Christina and Dustin Lu, had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to China to watch their children perform at the Conservatory. They borrowed the words of a teenage girl in the audience to describe their experience: fabulous and awesome!
“Song by song, dance by dance, the YPC choristers, singing and moving as perfectly as we’ve ever seen them, left their audience with a rich impression of the talents and vibrant joy of American young people.”
Nunez believes the educational impact of the tour for the choristers was boundless.
“Traveling changes a child’s perspective of his or her place in the world, giving these young people first-hand knowledge of issues affecting the international community,” he said. “Music is powerful. In Estonia, it helped bring down the Iron Curtain!”
Sixteen-year-old Louise Sullivan was excited to travel to China with the chorus.
“It was amazing to sing in a giant, beautiful opera house, visit different temples, and see the Great Wall! I also understood what it was like to go someplace with a mission: YPC is about connecting with others through music by having fun and sharing our experiences with others from different cultures and backgrounds,” she said. “As a singer, I was always thinking about the music — memorizing, searching for meaning, saving my voice — because I know our performances would influence others.”
Tohar Scheininger has been with the chorus for four years. The 17-year-old alto looked forward to sharing the music she and her fellow choristers had worked so hard perfecting with a Chinese audience.
“The Boatman Song” was the most musically challenging for her. Sung in Chinese, the piece moved the audience. Tohar noticed a middle-aged woman sitting in the front row and focused on her smile while singing and felt a deeper connection with the Chinese culture. She appreciated the strong emotional response to the music, which reminded her that music is truly a universal language.
Nunez says the chorus does more than just singing beautiful songs.
“People watch them perform and think, ‘Everything is going to be OK.’ These young men and women are change makers. They are making a difference in the lives of others. They make a good impression and people meet them and think, ‘This is what Americans are like.’ They are helping our country,” Nunez states emphatically.
Louise and Tohar thank Nunez for helping them by being such a brilliant teacher and a good friend.
“He has such a way with kids,” Tohar explains. “He knows how to talk to us so we’ll listen — not just about music — he grabs our attention, motivates us, guides us. He’s incredible!”
Indeed, Nunez is a passionate, dedicated, and gifted man who cares about humanity and believes that change is possible in the world. His positive influence on the lives of young people builds bridges between cultures around the globe, joining people in peace and harmony.
For more information about the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, visit www.ypc.org.
Laura Varoscak-DeInnocentiis is a writer, educator, and mom living in Brooklyn. A regular contributor to NY Parenting Media, Varoscak-DeInnocentiis has won several editorial awards for her articles.
