Choir Sings for American conductor Weston Noble During His Recovery at Seoul Hospital
While visiting Seoul to rehearse the National Chorus of Korea in September, accomplished American conductor Weston Noble fell, resulting in a fracture and confining him to a hospital bed for six weeks. Coincidentally, The American Boychoir arrived one week later in Daejeon to kick off their two-week Korea tour. After a guest appearance at the Daejeon International Choir Festival and two concerts in Seoul, the Boychoir heard the news that Mr. Noble was recovering at a nearby hospital, and the boys decided to give their fellow American musician a visit.
The choir, dressed in their iconic red sweater vests, exited their tour bus and walked through the corridors of the hospital, waiting patiently outside Mr. Noble’s recovery room. As the boys entered the room and gathered around Mr. Noble’s hospital bed, they were greeted with a smile beaming from the world-renowned conductor’s face. After the choir thanked Mr. Noble for allowing all 34 of them to visit, Litton-Lodal Music Director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz raised his arms, and the Boychoir began singing “Nodle kangbyon,” a Korean folk song. As soon as the boys started to sing, a small crowd of curious patients and visitors gathered in the hospital corridor.
When the piece was over, with tears in his eyes, Mr. Noble turned to the boys and said, “You have no idea how many lives you touch with your beautiful music.” It was a moment in time that will live forever in the hearts of all who witnessed it.
One of Princeton’s most esteemed performing ensembles, the American Boychoir has long been recognized as one of the finest musical ensembles in the country. Under the leadership of Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Litton-Lodal Music Director, The American Boychoir has dazzled audiences with its unique blend of musical sophistication, spirited presentation, and ensemble virtuosity. The Boychoir performs regularly with world-class ensembles, including The New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and The Boston Symphony, and is often featured with such illustrious conductors as James Levine, Charles Dutoit, and Alan Gilbert. The American Boychoir is frequently invited to join internationally-renowned artists on stage, and the list of collaborators reflects the extraordinary range of the ensemble: from great classical artists such as Jessye Norman and Frederica von Stade to jazz legend Wynton Marsalis and pop icons Beyoncé and Sir Paul McCartney. The choir’s young soloists are also in high demand and have joined forces with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, and The Spoleto Festival, to name a few. The Boychoir’s standing as preeminent ambassadors of American musical excellence is maintained through an extremely busy touring schedule both nationally and abroad, having just recently returned from a tour to Korea this past September. Its legacy is preserved through an extensive recording catalog, which boasts over 45 commercial recordings and the launch of its own label, Albemarle Records.
Boys in fourth through eighth grades come from across the country and around the world to pursue a rigorous musical and academic curriculum at the American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey. While keeping up with their academic demands, the boys balance schoolwork with an intense touring schedule. In addition to the almost 100 solo concerts, the 2013-2014 season includes a 16-day tour in Korea, a performance of Britten’s War Requiem with the Boston Symphony Orchestra marking the 50th anniversary of the American premiere which the Boychoir (then the Columbus Boychoir) performed, and holiday concerts in Princeton with the Canadian Brass.
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