Sources: Kristin Mortenson, 785-532-3832, kmortens@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Nellie Ryan, 785-532-6415, media@k-state.edu

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

K-STATE CONCERT CHOIR TO TOUR EUROPE DURING SPRING BREAK 2009

MANHATTAN -- The Kansas State University Concert Choir has been invited to represent the state of Kansas at the 2009 American Celebration of Music in Vienna and Prague. The choir's trip to Europe will be March 13-20.

The K-State Concert Choir is the select, auditioned mixed-ensemble at K-State. The choir is under the direction of Joshua J. Oppenheim and Julie Yu-Oppenheim, assistant professors of music and co-directors of choral activities.

The choir will present three major concerts during the trip. The concerts will take place in historical venues including St. Nicholas Church in Prague, and at St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Minoritenkirche in Vienna. The choir will perform notable choral works by such composers as Maurice Durufle, Pablo Casals and Eric Whitacer.

While in Prague, students will visit the Mozart and Dvorak museums as well as the Bertramka Museum, which holds many of Mozart's instruments, manuscripts and memorabilia. On route to Vienna, the students will take a tour of the Terezin Concentration Camp, which was the Nazi concentration camp for children. Poems and artwork created by child prisoners in the camp have been the basis for many important choral works. While in Vienna, the students will visit the State Opera House, the Burgkapelle, Beethoven's House, the Haus der Musik, the Strauss Monument and the Museum of the Vienna Philharmonic.

More information about the trip and choral activities at K-State is available by contacting Oppenheim and Yu-Oppenheim at 785-532-5740.

K-State Concert Choir members participating in the Europe trip include:

Aaron Engelman, junior in mass communications, Benedict; Cassity Mitchell, junior in music education, Bonner Springs; Jacque Haag, senior in mass communications and international studies, and Justin Harbaugh, graduate student in music, both of Emporia; Marguerite Fredericksen, junior in education and applied music, Fort Scott.

From Greater Kansas City: Julie Richerson, junior in humanities, Lenexa; Kelsey Brown, sophomore in music, and Stephanie Dudley, freshman in music education, both of Overland Park; and Jessica Freyermuth, masters in music, Shawnee.

Whitney Lansdowne, senior in life sciences, Hutchinson; Robert Haynes, sophomore in agricultural education, Junction City; Andrew Blackburn, junior in English, Lakin.

From Manhattan: Evan Dahlgren, sophomore in music education; Mary Hunt, freshman in arts and sciences-open option; Nicole Marcotte, senior in philosophy; Bryan Pinkall, graduate student in music; Victoria Schwartz, sophomore in arts and sciences-open option; and Hazen Short, freshman in philosophy.

William Moon, senior in music education, Minneola; Tomas Lambotte, senior in music, Morrill; Ariana Stavropoulos, junior in pre-professional elementary education, Salina; Ashley Dohrmann, junior in industrial engineering, South Hutchinson; Griffin Letch, senior in music, and Matthew Patton, junior in applied music, both of Topeka; Chelsey Fritch, senior in humanities, Troy; and Erin Ayers, junior in family studies and human services, Wichita.

From out of state: Matthew Sommer, sophomore in music education, Papillion,Neb.