CWU Choir to Compete, Perform Five Concerts in Spain

Against the dramatic backdrop of the Basque region in Spain, the Central Washington University Chamber Choir will take part in the prestigious 47th Annual Tolosa International Choir Competition. The event, which is by invitation only, is one of the most esteemed in Europe. CWU’s 31-voice choir, and director Gary Weidenaar, associate professor and director of Choral Studies, will compete against choirs from all over Europe including France, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, and Hungary.

Beginning October 24, the Chamber Choir will hold concerts in Pamplona, Ordizia, Tafalla, and Tolosa, before performing two, 18-minute sets of music for the competition, held in a concert hall in Tolosa on October 31. Through the efforts of Spanish Honorary Consul Luis Fernando Esteban, the choir will be visiting León where they will present a concert in the magnificent Santa María de León Cathedral, also called The House of Light.

Help Send the Choir to Spain!

To help with the costs of the trip, the CWU Chamber Choir will present a Benefit and ¡Buen Viaje! concert at 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, October 20 in the CWU Music Building Concert Hall. Tickets are $12 for general admission, and $7 for seniors, children, and CWU students. The concert will include music of Dominic Argento, Tomás Luis de Victoria, Knut Nystedt, Seattle-based composer John Muehleisen, CWU faculty Vijay Singh, and more!

All donations will be gratefully accepted. The choir has significant needs for both this trip and other upcoming events, including an appearance at the Northwest American Choral Directors Association Conference in March 2016. Donations may be made to the CWU Music Choral Studies Fund. For more information on how to give, contact Dr. Gary Weidenaar at 509-963-1616 or e-mail Gary.Weidenaar@cwu.edu.

To view the CWU choir in an April 2015 performance, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjlmnqDJvio.

Media contact: Gary Weidenaar, director of Choral Studies, 509-963-1616, Gary.Weidenaar@cwu.edu

Valerie Chapman-Stockwell, Public Affairs, 509-963-1518, valeriec@cwu.edu