Chamber Singers, Bel Canto and Wolverine Chorus choirs are preparing to tour New York City from June 11- June 15 for their performance at Carnegie Hall June 14. Members of the groups will participate in activities such as touring museums, attending Broadway shows and rehearsing music.
Chamber Singers Director Nadya Hitomi ’25 said she anticipates that their performance of “Missa in Tempore Belli” will be a success because of the extensive time the Chamber Singers group spent preparing.
“All three of the Upper School choirs will be performing [Joseph] Haydn’s ‘Missa in Tempore Belli’ at Carnegie Hall,” Hitomi said. “[Chamber Singers will] be singing with the National Masterwork Chorus under conductor Julie Yu. We have been preparing this song all year long since it’s 84 pages and consists of six parts. It’s a really powerful song, and I think our performance will be transformative and emotional.”
Bel Canto singer Mae Mae Gad ’27 said she looks forward to performing at Carnegie Hall as well as experiencing New York City.
“I’m most excited to perform at Carnegie Hall with all the choirs from different schools together, and especially with a full orchestra,” Gad said. “I’m also super excited to explore the city with my friends.”
2025-2026 Bel Canto President Maylie Macias ’25 said she has enjoyed her time in choir this school year because of the strong community.
“This year in choir was one of my favorites so far,” Macias said. “I was in Bel Canto, and instantly everyone really connected and became a community, which made the process of learning and performing music that much more fun and rewarding. Even when a song was difficult, we always managed to pull through. Everyone was really supportive, and we all improved and grew as singers this year. I’m very proud of my choir this year.”
Hitomi said she is looking forward to exploring museums and attending musical performances in New York City.
“I’m so excited to go to New York,” Hitomi said. “The choirs, along with the orchestra, visited New York on tour in 2023. It will be fun to revisit all of the places we went as sophomores. We’re also going to be visiting some new places, like an observation deck, and the Guggenheim museum, and will also see the show ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ on Broadway. It’s going to be really fun and a great way to round out my time in the upper school choral program.”
Gad said she has enjoyed her experience as a part of Bel Canto because of the strong support she has received from her peers.
“The Upper School choir groups are definitely more challenging than the lower school, but the biggest difference is the community,” Gad said. “This year, I’ve been able to bond so much with the rest of Bel Canto, and I’m so grateful for being able to see them every other day. It’s been an amazing year in choir because of how supportive everyone is of one another.”
