Singers and instrumentalists from Cal State Fullerton’s School of Music will present five concerts in Paris, Chartres and Chantilly beginning June 23.
The University Singers, CSUF Concert Choir, University Symphonic Chorus and University Symphony Orchestra will travel to France to perform in the City of Lights and surrounding areas. The Orchestra also will hold a concert at the Chateau of Chantilly, one of France’s most beautiful castles.
The biggest concerts — at the Chartres Cathedral and at the Church of La Madeleine — will feature all 160 musicians in performances of Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem” and Francis Poulenc’s “Gloria.”
“The Fauré was composed specifically for the Madeleine, which will make the performance even more meaningful for all the performers,” explains Robert Istad, professor of music and director of choral studies.
Joining Istad and the Cal State Fullerton ensembles will be fellow conductors Christopher Peterson, professor of music, and Kimo Furumoto, associate professor of music, as well as the College of the Canyons Chamber Singers.
When not on call for performances or rehearsing, the students will have the chance to explore Paris on their own. “Our students will experience of ‘living’ in Paris for 10 days, which will be extraordinary for them,” says Istad.
Their schedule:
- June 23: University Singers at the St-Louis-en-l’Île Church in Paris
- June 25: University Symphony Orchestra and University Symphonic Chorus at the Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, featuring sopranos Erika Jackson and Belinda Gonzales with baritone Trinidad Cano
- June 26: University Symphony Orchestra at the Manège des Grandes Ecuries du Château in Chantilly
- June 27: Concert Choir with the College of the Canyons Chamber Singers in the Eglise Notre-Dame des Blancs-Manteaux
- June 28: University Symphony Orchestra and University Symphonic Chorus at La Madeleine in Paris, featuring sopranos Joslyn Sarshad and Juliet Kidwell and baritone James Lesu’I