"How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" goes the set-up for the old joke. "Practice, practice, practice," goes the reply.
Their years of practice and performance have once again paid off for the members of the Yale Russian Chorus, who will be taking the stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23, as part of the "America Salutes Moscow" celebration.
The concert, which honors the 850th anniversary of the city of Moscow, is sponsored by Russian Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov, American University in Moscow, Global Conferences Associates, Ltd. and the ABZ International Group, Inc.
The Yale Russian Chorus will present a yet-to-be-determined program under the baton of its musical director, Mark Bailey. Also performing that night will be Nikolai Levinovsky with the jazz group Allegro, the Russian-American Musical Theatre "Wandering Stars," the New American Chamber Orchestra, the Russian Chamber Chorus of New York, and dozens of noted Russian musicians.
Now in its 44th year, the Yale Russian Chorus is an a cappella choral ensemble devoted to preserving, developing and performing the music of the Slavic peoples. Ethan Kroll '99 is the group's current president.
This will not be the first time that the Yale Russian Chorus has performed at Carnegie Hall. In fact, the ensemble has appeared on stages throughout the United States and the world. In 1959, the group became the first American organization to visit the former Soviet Union. The chorus has since returned frequently to Russia and its neighboring republics. In 1987, President George Bush invited the Yale Russian Chorus to perform for Soviet General Secretary Mikhail
Gorbachev at the White House. The group's upcoming campus performances will include concerts during Parents Weekend in October and during the Slavic Choral Festival in February. Watch the Yale Bulletin & Calendar for information about the group's concerts.
Last year, the Yale Russian Chorus' first album, "Chants and Carols," released by Epiphany Records, earned both critical and popular acclaim. The CD included liturgical and folk music created between the 12th and 20th centuries in Russia, Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Poland, as well as modern works composed in traditional styles.
For more information about the "America Salutes Moscow" concert, call CarnegieCharge 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily at (212) 247-7800. For more information about the Yale Russian Chorus, call 432-4776.