WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE

'Westminster Choir College' is a residential college of music located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States.
Westminster has a choral emphasis that educates men and women at the undergraduate and graduate levels for music leadership careers in churches, schools, performance, and management. Professional training in musical skills with an emphasis on performance is complemented by studies in the liberal arts in an atmosphere which encourages individuals in their personal and musical growth and nurtures leadership qualities. The programs of study are career-oriented and designed to prepare students for careers in music leadership in churches, schools, and communities. Students are trained to achieve technical mastery in their art and have unparalleled access to some of the finest musical centers in New York City, Philadelphia and around the world.

Contents

History of the College

Grammy Awards

Performance & Concert Reviews

Symphonic Performances

2007-2008 Concert Season of the Westminster Symphonic Choir

Notable Faculty

Voice

Organ & Sacred Music

Conducting

Piano

Faculty Emeriti

Honorary Doctorates and Fellows

Notable Alumni

External links

History of the College

John Finley Williamson founded the Westminster Choir in 1920 at the Westminster Presbyterian Church of Dayton Ohio. Convinced that professionally trained musicians could best serve the church, he established the Westminster Choir School in September 1926 with sixty students and a faculty of ten. As the Choir School and it's Choir's reputation grew, the demand for the School's graduates increased. The graduates came to be known as ''Minsters of Music'', a term coined by Dr. Williamson and still being used today by many church music programs.
As early as 1922, the Choir, then known as the Dayton Westminster Choir, began touring the United States annually and sang in such prominent places as Carnegie Hall (New York City), Symphony Hall (Boston), the Academy of Music (Philadelphia), Orchestra Hall (Chicago) and the White House for President Coolidge. Years later the Choir also sang for Presidents Roosevelt and Eisenhower. The Westminster Choir made its first commercial recording with RCA Victor in 1926. Subsequently the Choir recorded with major conductors and orchestras.
In 1928, the Westminster Choir and Cincinnati Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski made the nation's first coast-to-coast radio broadcast on Cincinnati station WLW. A few years later because of the Choir's growing reputation it made a total of 60 half-hour broadcasts from NBC's New York facilities.
The first European tour took place in 1929 and was sponsored by Dayton philanthropist Katharine Hauk Talbott and endorsed by Walter Damrosch, conductor of the New York Symphony. The tour included 26 concerts in major cities of Europe.
Originally a three year program, the Choir School moved to Ithaca College in New York State in 1929 and enlarged its curriculum to a four year program culminating in a Bachelor of Music degree. This move ultimately proved unsatisfactory.
In 1932, the Choir School relocated to Princeton, New Jersey which became its permanent home. Classes were held in the First Presbyterian Church and the Princeton Seminary until 1934 when the Choir School moved to its present campus. This was made possible by a large gift from the philanthropist Sophia Strong Taylor. The dedication of the new campus was marked by a performance of Bach's Mass in B minor at the Princeton University Chapel with the Westminster Choir, soloists, and the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Because of his high regard for the Choir, the services of the soloists, orchestra, and conductor were a gift from Stokowski.
There was a second European Choir tour in 1934 lasting nine weeks and highlighted by a live radio broadcast from Russia to the United States. In the fourteen short years since its founding in 1920, the Choir already had two European tours which earned it international acclaim and a campus of its own. The State of New Jersey in 1939 granted the Choir School accreditation and the name Westminster Choir College was adopted.
In years to come, under Dr. Williamson's leadership, the Choir would begin having regular concerts with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The Westminster Choir sang with the New York Philharmonic for the first time in 1939 conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. Since that time the Choir has sung over three hundred performances with the Philharmonic, a record number for a single choir to perform with an orchestra. Later that year the Choir sang with the NBC Orchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini. That same year the Choir, directed by Dr. Williamson, sang at the dedication of the New York World's Fair which was broadcast to fifty-three countries.
In 1957, under the auspices of the U.S. State Department Cultural Exchange Program, the Choir undertook a five month world tour, concertizing in twenty-two countries, covering 40,000 miles and appearing before approximately a quarter of a million people.
Dr. Williamson retired as President of Westminster Choir College in 1958; however, he continued to give choral clinics and seminars around the world. Most notably in 1959, the U.S. State Department asked Dr. Williamson to organize a Westminster alumni choir to tour Africa. This choir was called the Westminster Singers. The African tour consisted of performances in fifty cities in twenty-six countries with audiences totaling more than 250,000. Following this tour, at the invitation of leading vocal teachers and choral conductors, Dr. Williamson's "retirement" consisted of conducting choral clinics and vocal festivals throughout the United States, Japan, Korea and the Philippines. A South American choir tour was being planned by the State Department but was canceled because of Dr. Williamson's untimely death in 1964.
In accordance with his request, Dr. Williamson's ashes were scattered on the Quadrangle of his beloved campus on July 3, 1964. Dramatically, this took place during the performance of the Verdi Requiem with the Westminster Festival Choir, soloists, and the Festival Orchestra conducted by Maestro Eugene Ormandy. This performance on the Westminster campus was part of the Tercentennial Celebration of the State of New Jersey. The following day a memorial service for Dr. Williamson was held in the College Chapel.
In 1976, the Choir College celebrated its fiftieth anniversary highlighted by a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Shaw, alumni soloists, and the Westminster Alumni Choir on the Princeton University campus.
In 1992, following a year of affiliation, Westminster merged with Rider University (then Rider College) and is now known as Westminster Choir College of Rider University. The Choir College campus still remains in Princeton with Rider's larger campus in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. In 2001, Westminster Choir College celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary.
Currently, the Director of Choral Activities is Dr. Joe Miller, formerly of Western Michigan University. At the beginning of the 2006-2007 academic year, Miller succeeded then-Interim director Timothy Brown, who had replaced Dr. Joseph Flummerfelt for just a year upon Flummerfelt's retirement at the end of the 2004-2005 academic year.

Grammy Awards

★ Dvorák: Requiem; Symphony No.9 "From the New World," 2000
:The Westminster Symphonic Choir
:Zdenek Macal and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
:Delos Records

★ Berlioz: Romeo & Juliet, 1986
:The Westminster Symphonic Choir
:Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra
:Angel/EMI
★ Nominated

★ Barber: Anthony & Cleopatra, 1983
:The Westminster Symphonic Choir
:C. Badea and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra
:New World Records

★ Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass, 1977
:The Westminster Symphonic Choir
:Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic
:Columbia
★ Nominated

Performance & Concert Reviews

“Another strength of the performance was the work of the Westminster Symphonic Choir. Showing thorough preparation by its director, Joseph Flummerfelt, the chorus sang superbly, as usual...” ''The New York Times''

“…seamless blend and clarity of diction.” ''The New York Times''

“But perhaps the most interesting role is for the chorus itself, which in this case was well prepared by Joseph Flummerfelt. One instant the chorus is the crowd calling for the crucifixion, then it becomes a congregation singing the chorale “Who hath so smitten them.” One moment it is caught in narrow viciousness, the next it represents a transcendent perspective. It seems to move between the poles of this work: its anger and its faith, its minute obsession with concrete detail and its grander, humane perspective.”''The New York Times''

“The Westminster Choir contributed spirited and polished singing. The purity of the ‘amen’ of the Pie Jesu was a moment to savor.” ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''

“The Westminster Choir … the epitome of choral music.” ''Milwaukee Sentinel''

“The Westminster Choir is a highly polished ensemble, one that seems to strive for purity of tone and exceptionally clear enunciation.” ''The Houston Post''

“Westminster again proves it has no peer. The choir is adept, practiced and refined to the point of intimidation, and good taste is never an issue. In sum, other choirs are compared to Westminster – not the reverse.” ''Newark Star Ledger''

Symphonic Performances

The Westminster Symphonic Choir has performed with virtually every major orchestra and conductor of our time including: New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The Symphonic Choir, under the direction of Westminster's Director of Choral Activities, has sung at individual performances of large orchestral/choral works with professional orchestras conducted by Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, William Steinberg, Leopold Stokowski, Arturo Toscanini, and Bruno Walter, and such contemporary figures as Erich Leinsdorf, James Levine, Macal, Kurt Masur, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Ozawa, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Robert Shaw, Zubin Mehta, Albert Wolff, and Rafael Frübeck de Burgos. The choir has also received numerous invitations over the years to sing with such touring orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw, and the Vienna Philharmonic when these orchestras have come to perform in New York and Philadelphia.

2007-2008 Concert Season of the Westminster Symphonic Choir

'Carnegie Hall, New York City'
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.
'THE OPENING NIGHT GALA OF CARNEGIE HALL’S 117TH SEASON'
'Lucerne Festival Orchestra'
'Claudio Abbado, Chief Conductor'
Melanie Diener, Soprano
Anna Larsson, Contralto
Jonas Kaufmann, Tenor
Reinhard Hagen, Bass
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, Conductor
Program to include:
'LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125'
Tickets: $29, $36, $48, $68, $90, $100
Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 8:00 p.m.
'Lucerne Festival Orchestra'
'Claudio Abbado, Chief Conductor'
Melanie Diener, Soprano
Anna Larsson, Contralto
Jonas Kaufmann, Tenor
Reinhard Hagen, Bass
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, Conductor
'LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125'
Tickets: $29, $36, $48, $68, $90, $100
Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 8:00 p.m.
'Lucerne Festival Orchestra'
'Claudio Abbado, Chief Conductor'
Anna Larsson, Contralto
Women of the Westminster Choir
Joe Miller, Conductor
The American Boychoir
Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Music Director
'GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 3'
Tickets: $25, $31, $41, $58, $76, $84
Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 8:00 p.m.
'The Cleveland Orchestra'
'Franz Welser-Möst, Music Director and Conductor'
Malin Hartelius, Soprano
Bernarda Fink, Mezzo-Soprano
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, Conductor
'GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, “Resurrection”'
Tickets: $36, $44, $58, $81, $107, $119
Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
'The Philadelphia Orchestra'
'Christoph Eschenbach, Music Director and Conductor'
Christine Brewer, Soprano
Michaela Kaune, Soprano
Marisol Montalvo, Soprano
Stephanie Blythe, Mezzo-Soprano
Charlotte Hellekant, Mezzo-Soprano
Paul Groves, Tenor
Franco Pomponi, Baritone
James Morris, Bass
The Philadelphia Singers Chorale
David Hayes, Director
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, Conductor
Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia
Alan Harler, Music Director
'GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 8 (“Symphony of a Thousand”)'
Tickets: $44, $54, $72, $101, $133, $148
'Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia'
April 30 at 8:00p.m. - Wednesday evening
May 1 at 8:00 p.m. – Thursday evening
May 2 at 8:00 p.m. – Friday evening
May 3 at 8:00 p.m. – Saturday evening
'The Philadelphia Orchestra'
'Christoph Eschenbach, conductor'
Christine Brewer, soprano
Michaela Kaune, soprano
Marisol Montalvo, soprano
Stephanie Blythe, mezzo-soprano
Charlotte Hellekant, mezzo-soprano
Paul Groves, tenor
Franco Pomponi, baritone
James Morris, bass
The Philadelphia Singers Chorale (David Hayes, music director)
Westminster Symphonic Choir (Joe Miller, conductor)
Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia (Alan Harler, music director)
The American Boychoir (Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, music director)
'GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 8 (“Symphony of a Thousand”)'
'Avery-Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City'
Wednesday, March 19 - 7:30PM
Thursday, March 20 - 7:30PM
Friday, March 21 - 8:00PM
Saturday, March 22 - 8:00PM
'The New York Philharmonic'
'Kurt Masur, conductor'
Matthias Goerne, Baritone
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, conductor
'J.S. BACH St. Matthew Passion'
'New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark'
Friday, Nov. 30, 2007 - 8:00PM
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 - 8:00PM
Sunday, Dec 2, 2007 - 3:00PM (Trenton War Memorial)
'New Jersey Symphony Orchestra'
'Neeme Järvi, conductor'
Twyla Robinson, soprano
Nancy Maultsby, mezzo-soprano
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, conductor
'GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, “Resurrection”'

Notable Faculty

Voice

★ Margaret Cusack

★ Thomas Faracco

★ Mark Moliterno

★ Scott McCoy

★ Sally Wolf

★ Katherine Johnson

★ Marvin Keenze

★ Sharon Sweet

★ Laura Brooks Rice

Organ & Sacred Music

★ Ken Cowan

★ Alan Morrison

★ Matthew Lewis

★ Robin Leaver

★ Donald Dumpson

Conducting

★ Joe Miller, Director of Choral Activities

★ James Jordan

★ Andrew Megill

★ Sun Min Lee

Piano

★ Ingrid Clarfield

★ Phyllis Lehrer

★ Jim Goldsworthy

Faculty Emeriti

★ Joseph Flummerfelt

★ Helen Kemp

★ Joan Lippincott

Honorary Doctorates and Fellows

★ Jennifer Larmore, American Opera Singer

★ James Litton American Choral Conductor, American Boychoir

★ Fred Rogers American Educator, Minister, and Children’s TV Host

★ Zdenek Macal Czech Conductor

★ Alice Parker American Composer/Choral Conductor

★ Wolfgang Sawallisch German Conductor/Pianist

★ Kurt Masur Director of Music Emeritus, New York Philharmonic

★ William Mathias Welsh Composer

★ Robert Shaw American Conductor

★ Riccardo Muti Italian Conductor

★ Zubin Mehta Indian Conductor

★ Sherrill Milnes American Opera Singer

★ John Rutter English Composer and Choral Conductor

★ Sir David Willcocks English Composer, Choral Conductor, and Organist

★ Bob Hope American Entertainer

★ Sir Arthur Bliss British Composer

★ William Steinberg German Conductor

★ Leonard Bernstein American Conductor and Composer

★ Leopold Stokowski American Conductor

★ Allen Crowell American Conductor, Former Conductor for Westminster Choir and The United States Army Chorus

Notable Alumni

★ Nancy Maltsby, opera singer - 1986

★ Anwar Robinson of American Idol, a contestant on the fourth season

★ Jennifer Larmore, internationally renowned opera singer.

★ Donald Nally, Chorus Master, Chicago Lyric Opera

External links

★ Westminster Choir College of Rider University

★ Talbott Library

★ The Westminster Journal