Members of the Wooster Chorus to Perform with The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus

10 students join in presentation of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Major on Sept. 10 at Blossom Music Center

WOOSTER, Ohio — Ten members of the Wooster Chorus have been invited to perform with The Cleveland Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus when they present Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Major on Saturday (Sept. 10) at Blossom Music Center. Maestro Jahja Ling, music director of the San Diego Symphony, will lead the performance, which begins at 8 p.m.

The invitation came as a result of Wooster Chorus Director Lisa Wong’s role as assistant director with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. “Last year, the Wooster Chorus was invited to sing the Beethoven (Symphony No. 9 in D Major) with the Ashland Symphony,” explained Wong. “Robert Porco, Director of Choruses for the Cleveland Orchestra, knew that our Wooster students were familiar with the work and graciously invited us to perform in Cleveland. He has also invited us to sing in one of their Christmas concerts in December.”

Representing Wooster will be seniors Ben Bellamy and Bronwyn Schlaefer; juniors Brian Fancher, Cara Haxo, Krista Koeller, and Sarah Mitchell; and sophomores Maggie Etheridge, Marie Gatien, Ryan O’Dell, and Trevor Pozderac.

Regarded as one of the pre-eminent performing ensembles in the world, The Cleveland Orchestra, which is based in Severance Hall and Blossom with residencies in Miami, New York, Vienna and elsewhere, is heralded for its artistic excellence, creative programming, and community engagement. As one of the few professionally trained, all-volunteer choruses sponsored by a major American orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus has appeared with the Orchestra on tour in Boston, Brussels, Edinburgh, London, Lucerne, and New York, as well as on television and in numerous recordings.

This performance marks what Wong hopes will be the first of many such collaborations. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus,” said Wong, an assistant professor of music at Wooster. “At the first rehearsal, when our students were introduced by Robert Porco, there was a cheer of ‘Go, Scots!’ from Wooster alumni who currently sing with the Chorus. What a tremendous opportunity for Wooster!”

To order tickets, visit The Cleveland Orchestra website.