Of Epic Proportions: The Carmina Burana Choral Project

It is nothing short of spectacular: 400 student singers, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, a trio of esteemed vocalists, three world premieres, newly commissioned projections, and Carl Orff’s seminal Carmina Burana—all in one concert.

The scope of The Carmina Burana Choral Project is equally ambitious: to nurture and showcase exemplary musicianship, elevating student performance to a professional level and creating transformational experiences for all involved.

Conductor David Robertson, who leads the culminating event on February 5, recently discussed the breadth of this project and its lasting impact.

What is it like to prepare young performers for a project like this?

Music is transformative, and part of what makes it transformative for younger performers is the sense that they like to participate in every aspect of music. They bring a burning, enthusiastic desire. Whenever you’re preparing for a project with young performers, the main thing you need to concentrate on is giving them enough time to absorb new ideas, process them, and then make them their own. And that’s the tremendous thing for me, to see this happen and to see all of these things come together in a performance that is both spellbinding and white-hot exciting.

How do the students’ pieces and musical philosophies vary?

It’s hard to pin down teenagers on their still-developing philosophies, but you will definitely hear three distinct compositional voices.

Gabriel Smallwood, 14, jumps into the ring with Or-, setting a “Dies Irae” that wears all of its emotions on its sleeve. Gabe admires film music and writes with an innate sense of drama combined with a love of counterpoint and Handelian choral writing.

Thomas Reeves, 17, draws upon his dual Japanese-American heritage to set “A Man’s Life,” an ancient Japanese poem about the acceptance of fate. His setting is serene and spacious with a softspoken maturity that belies his age.

Anthony Constantino, 17, uses cluster chords and driving rhythms to set “Thus It Was,” a poem by Dag Hammarskjöld that embraces the notion of fate. His music is an energetic and searing exploration of the poem’s meditation on a future unknown.

(editor’s note: here’s a link to a video on the Carnegie Hall website)