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Founded by conductor and director of choral activities Judith Clurman, the Juilliard Choral Union is a community-based symphonic chorus comprised of talented volunteer singers from the metropolitan area who dedicate themselves to achieving the highest level of performance. The chorus also includes currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate Juilliard students, staff, and administrators. In their short history, the Juilliard Choral Union has compiled an interesting and unique performance profile. They commemorated the first anniversary of 9/11 with a community sing of W.A. Mozart's Requiem, led by Judith Clurman, in 2002. With the Orchestra of St. Luke's, they sang during the televised first memorial service at the site of the World Trade Center, and returned again for the final family memorial. This year, they commemorate the fifth anniversary of 9/11 with a New York Metssponsored community sing of W.A. Mozart's Requiem at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Judith Clurman.
The Choral Union often collaborates with Juilliard ensembles, including a performance of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem with the Juilliard Symphony and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, led by conductor David Atherton, at Carnegie Hall in 2003. In January 2005, they performed Johannes Brahms' Ein deutscbes Requiem with the Juilliard Orchestra, led by conductor James Del'reist at Carnegie. In December 2005, they again collaborated with the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, performed Gustav Mahler's Symphony No.3 with the Juilliard Orchestra under James Conlon at the same venue. Allan Kozinn of The New York Times observed that "[tjhe Juilliard Choral Union sang with brightness and vibrancy.... [T]hey swept the listener into Mahler's idiosyncratic world and made it seem that this is just the way the universe is."
Other recent performances include the world premiere of the New York City Ballet production of Peter Martins' Chichester Psalms), the New York Pops' holiday concert at Carnegie Hall; the United States premiere of the original chamber version of Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle; on Lincoln Center's American Songbook series; and on Stephen Sondheim's birthday concert at New York's Wall to Wall Sondheim (Their performance of Jason Robert Brown's arrangement of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday was pressed on the special Symphony Space Wall to Wall Sondheim disc.) Their engagements last season (2005-2006) included a concert of traditional and original holiday music at Juilliard and An Evening of Richard Rodgers with Marvin Hamlisch and the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. |
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Judith Clurman, Artistic Director (2001-2007)
Joanna Trebelhorn, Chorus Manager
Tina Gonzalez, Personnel Manager
Randy Neff, Artistic Assistant
Laura Poe, Rehearsal Pianist
James Wetzel, Librarian |
