In the last week of March 2019, the Olympic Heights Chorus, under the direction of Mr. Richard Andreacchio, will be realizing the dream of many musical performers. The OH Chorus, along with five other schools, will be going to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Carnegie Hall is one of the most well-known music halls in the world. It has hosted performers such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Judy Garland, and Shirley Bassey, along with bands such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones.

Andreacchio is extremely ecstatic about the event. In order to be invited to perform at the Carnegie Hall event, each school must submit an audition comprised of three songs to be evaluated by a group of prestigious judges. Out of thousands of submissions, the OH chorus was selected.

Over the five-day trip, the OH chorus students will be exploring New York City, learning about Carnegie Hall and preparing for their much-anticipated performance. Andreacchio is extremely excited for the opportunity his students will be getting, “[They will] get some great pizza, some awesome street food, and I can’t wait for the kids to be exposed to New York City and Broadway musicals.”

This will be the first time in many years the OH Chorus is attending this event and every member is ready to enjoy the full experience. Bria Beardsley, a senior at OH, recognizes this as “a great opportunity…I am expecting to learn a lot about the music, and I’m excited to work with other really talented musicians.”

This will also be a great learning opportunity for many OH Chorus members. Not only are they getting to experience Carnegie Hall, but in their performance, they will be led by a prestigious composer-Andre Thomas. Thomas is currently a professor of music at Florida State and will be accompanying the OH Chorus on the trip.

Thomas has composed over 30 different choral pieces, many of which have been award-winning. He has been honored as a “Living Legend” by the African Diaspora Sacred Music and Musicians program and was given the Distinguished Service Award by Chorus America. He is on the International Federation for Choral Music and is the former president of the Florida American Choral Directors Association. Clearly, Thomas’ experience will be a big benefit to many of the aspiring singers at OH.

Unfortunately, the cost of the trip at $1,900 per student is somewhat prohibitive. In an effort to raise funds for the trip, the OH Chorus is selling I.D. badge lanyards that double as phone chargers for $10 to help send members to the event who couldn’t otherwise afford it.

Andreacchio summed up the magnitude of this experience: “It’s something to brag to your kids and grandkids about – that you had the opportunity to perform on the most amazing stage in the entire world.”