Women’s Chorus of Dallas to sing (again) at Carnegie Hall

Women’s Chorus of Dallas is directed by Melinda Imthurn

The Women’s Chorus of Dallas will be singing Saturday, May 25, at New York’s Carnegie Hall as the “nucleus” of an ensemble performing “music by women, for women’s voices, according to an announcement today by MidAmerica Productions.

The performance will be conducted by Women’s Chorus of Dallas Director Melinda Imthurn as part of MidAmerica Productions’ 36th concert season. While WCD has already performed four times at Carnegie Hall “under MidAmerica’s auspices,” this will be the chorus’ first appearance there since Imthurn took over as director 13 years ago.

Imthurn said, “I am delighted to be the first conductor of The Women’s Chorus of Dallas to lead them in an all-women’s-voices performance from the podium at Carnegie Hall. This is truly a landmark event for all involved.”

The program will include music featured in WCD’s “Voices of Women” series, celebrating its fifth anniversary in March. Imthurn explained, “Voices of Women started as a local concert in Dallas where we were joined by other choruses to form a choir of almost 300, singing works of women composers. I am excited to bring the Voices of Women concept to New York City and to highlight the voices of our singers as well as some of my favorite composers.”

Those composers include “powerhouse” Gwyneth Walker who has “hundreds of works to her credit,” Linda Tutas Haugen who sets the words of Anne Frank in the selections from her The Living Voice suite, and the New York premiere of award-winning composer Jocelyn Hagen’s setting of Controlled Burn by rapper/singer/writer Dessa, Imthurn said.

The Women’s Chorus of Dallas, augmented by The Women’s Chorus of Dallas Alumni Singers, will be joined by the Saint Dominic Academy Glee Club, Jersey City, N.J. (Joseph P. Napoli, director), and the New England Symphonic Ensemble.

Sharing the bill will be three other female conductors. Eva Floyd will conduct Morten Lauridsen’s “Lux Aeterna,” KellyAnn Nelson will conduct “Prism” by William Menefield in its New York premiere. Eva Floyd will conduct the Lauridsen, and KellyAnn Nelson the Menefield, accompanied by a choir of more than 140 voices drawn from Bishop England Chorale from Charleston, S.C. (Thomas Gerber, director), The Seven Hills School Choir from Cincinnati, Ohio (Tina Kuhlman, director), Denver Choir League from Wheat Ridge, Colo. (Katy Lushman, director), Mariemont High School Choir from Cincinnati, Ohio (Elizabeth McGahey, director) and Young Professionals Choral Collective from Cincinnati, Ohio (KellyAnn Nelson, director).

Also on the program is the Fauré “Requiem,” featuring four choirs from Canada under the direction of Lisette Canton. Joining them on stage will be vocal soloists Danielle Talamantes, soprano, and Rob McGinness, baritone; and the New England Symphonic Ensemble. Leslie Dala will conduct Mozart’s “Sparrow Mass” with featured soloists, and Scott Glysson will conduct Haydn’s “Te Deum.” The New England Symphonic Ensemble will accompany both performances.

Tickets range from $50 to $150, and are available by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue in New York or by going online to CarnegieHall.org.