Pepperdine Chamber Choir Performs with New West Symphony
The Pepperdine Chamber Choir recently performed alongside the New West Symphony in two “Bohemian Rhapsody and Carmen” concerts that featured an array of musical selections from Georges Bizet to J .S. Bach to Queen’s Freddie Mercury.
“The really strong music programs across the country have a connection to the professional performing organizations in their proximity,” says Ryan Board, professor of music/conducting and director of choral activities at Pepperdine’s Seaver College. “It’s gratifying that New West extended a collaborative invitation to us.”
New West Symphony hosted the event as part of its 30th anniversary season series and premiered the concert at two venues, one in Thousand Oaks and one in Camarillo. Pepperdine’s Chamber Choir performed in both concerts alongside other community partners such as the Los Robles Children’s Choir.
The music chosen for the concert demanded versatility from Pepperdine’s performers. Ranging from opera arias to pop hits from the 1970s, the selections allowed the undergraduate choir members to flex their vocal range and gain experience collaborating outside an academic environment.
“Our singers had to be chameleons with their voices for these concerts, which is a testament to the training they’re receiving from their professors,” says Board. “Throughout this event, the chamber choir performed with a professional orchestra, a professional conductor, and professional singers. It gave the choir a chance to witness what it takes to reach that level.”
Board and his students prepared for the New West concerts by adopting a “decathlete’s approach”— practicing the wide variety of songs it was preparing to sing systematically, moving from the less vocally demanding to the more rigorous pieces.
The Pepperdine Chamber Choir consists of the top-tier vocal performers on campus. Students are required to audition for the group, which accepts both music and non-music majors. The Pepperdine Concert Choir will perform on April 24 at Padre Serra Church in Camarillo as part of a benefit concert for RaisingHOPE, which supports youth aging out of foster care.
“Beauty and art remind people what they’re hopeful for,” explains Board. “To be able to package that up and deliver it, music hits in a profound way these days.”