News
Sports
ENLARGE
A longtime dream by two downvalley school choir directors to bring together the best young voices in the Roaring Fork Valley for a valleywide children's chorus is becoming a reality.
The Maroon Bel Canto Children's Chorus project began when Paul Dankers, music director at the Snowmass Chapel, contacted Kathryn Schmidt, choir director at Coal Ridge High and Riverside Middle schools, and Katie Hone Wiltgen, choir and band director at Basalt Middle and High schools.
“Katie and I have wanted to start a children's chorus forever,” Schmidt said. “[Dankers] and the church were looking for something to support the community and get kids more involved, and we jumped at the opportunity.”
Auditions are under way to find young music students, grades third through sixth, to participate in the select, all-valley children's chorus.
Enough interest was generated for auditions earlier this week that a third audition has been scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 24, from 3:30-5:30 p.m., at the Snowmass Chapel.
“With the education that the three of us have, we believe we can create a very strong and very exciting educational program for all of these kids,” Schmidt said. “Our goal is to teach these kids proper vocal technique, use of voice and healthy singing.”
Between them, Hone Wiltgen and Schmidt have five degrees in vocal performance and music education: Schmidt from the New England Conservatory and Hone Wiltgen from Miami University (Ohio) and Colorado State University.
“As a music teacher, I feel lucky to see the excitement and passion my students have for music and the performing arts on a daily basis,” Hone Wiltgen said. “How exciting to be able to provide an opportunity for the most talented and dedicated of these valleywide music students to sing together in a select choir setting.
“The high-caliber musical experience these students will encounter is sure to be a fabulously worthwhile endeavor, and we're thrilled so share our musical expertise with these growing musicians,” she said.
Added Dankers, “I feel confident that, with these two directors in front of the choir, our students will be exposed to an exemplary and professional vocal model.”
The chorus will rehearse and perform throughout the valley during three trimesters throughout the year, with a month off in-between and new auditions for each trimester, Schmidt said.
“We'll keep it a little smaller to start, and maybe expand in summer and have some sort of choir camp,” Schmidt said. “With the smaller group, we'll be doing one- and two-part music, but hope to go to three parts as the choir grows.”
Audition/registration forms can be obtained from local school music teachers, or online at www.maroonbelcanto.com. Rehearsals will begin in February and will be held on Monday evenings from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Snowmass Chapel, leading up to the first performances in March.
Performance venues will include the Snowmass Chapel, and other venues throughout the valley including Glenwood Springs, Schmidt said.
“We're mostly focusing on Glenwood to Aspen at the moment, but we're hoping we can split it up and some point and have upvalley and downvalley groups,” Schmidt said.
“I'm looking forward to creating a musical learning environment that is as educationally rich as it is fun and engaging,” she said.
jstroud@postindependent.com
The Maroon Bel Canto Children's Chorus project began when Paul Dankers, music director at the Snowmass Chapel, contacted Kathryn Schmidt, choir director at Coal Ridge High and Riverside Middle schools, and Katie Hone Wiltgen, choir and band director at Basalt Middle and High schools.
“Katie and I have wanted to start a children's chorus forever,” Schmidt said. “[Dankers] and the church were looking for something to support the community and get kids more involved, and we jumped at the opportunity.”
Auditions are under way to find young music students, grades third through sixth, to participate in the select, all-valley children's chorus.
Enough interest was generated for auditions earlier this week that a third audition has been scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 24, from 3:30-5:30 p.m., at the Snowmass Chapel.
“With the education that the three of us have, we believe we can create a very strong and very exciting educational program for all of these kids,” Schmidt said. “Our goal is to teach these kids proper vocal technique, use of voice and healthy singing.”
Between them, Hone Wiltgen and Schmidt have five degrees in vocal performance and music education: Schmidt from the New England Conservatory and Hone Wiltgen from Miami University (Ohio) and Colorado State University.
“As a music teacher, I feel lucky to see the excitement and passion my students have for music and the performing arts on a daily basis,” Hone Wiltgen said. “How exciting to be able to provide an opportunity for the most talented and dedicated of these valleywide music students to sing together in a select choir setting.
“The high-caliber musical experience these students will encounter is sure to be a fabulously worthwhile endeavor, and we're thrilled so share our musical expertise with these growing musicians,” she said.
Added Dankers, “I feel confident that, with these two directors in front of the choir, our students will be exposed to an exemplary and professional vocal model.”
The chorus will rehearse and perform throughout the valley during three trimesters throughout the year, with a month off in-between and new auditions for each trimester, Schmidt said.
“We'll keep it a little smaller to start, and maybe expand in summer and have some sort of choir camp,” Schmidt said. “With the smaller group, we'll be doing one- and two-part music, but hope to go to three parts as the choir grows.”
Audition/registration forms can be obtained from local school music teachers, or online at www.maroonbelcanto.com. Rehearsals will begin in February and will be held on Monday evenings from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Snowmass Chapel, leading up to the first performances in March.
Performance venues will include the Snowmass Chapel, and other venues throughout the valley including Glenwood Springs, Schmidt said.
“We're mostly focusing on Glenwood to Aspen at the moment, but we're hoping we can split it up and some point and have upvalley and downvalley groups,” Schmidt said.
“I'm looking forward to creating a musical learning environment that is as educationally rich as it is fun and engaging,” she said.
jstroud@postindependent.com
