Michigan State University Children’s Choir nabs two Grammys

Contact: Kathleen Adams, College of Music, Office: (517) 353-9958, adamsk10@msu.edu

Published: Feb. 09, 2006 E-mail Editor

EAST LANSING, Mich. – During a local Grammy Awards party at the University Club last night, members of the Michigan State University Children’s Choir cheered and celebrated when they heard that they were joint winners of two Grammy Awards: Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance for a compilation CD entitled “Songs of Innocence and of Experience,” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom.

The 40-member children’s choir was among more than 400 musicians who performed the song cycle at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor when it was recorded in April 2004. The young singers, fourth- through 10th- graders, share the award with their director, Mary Alice Stollak, composer Bolcum, performance conductor Leonard Slatkin, as well as other conductors from the University of Michigan.

“I am so proud that our children were asked to be part of a work of this magnitude,” said Stollak, the choir’s founding director.

The Children’s Choir was invited to be a part of the enormous production along with nationally known soloists and choirs. Stollak worked with the youngsters rehearsing the music for two months before handing them over to conductor Slatkin for the 2004 performance, which was in collaboration with the U-M School of Music and University Musical Society. Slatkin is the music director of the National Symphony Orchestra.

“It was a great educational and musical experience for the children to work with Leonard Slatkin and perform the music of William Bolcom along with such an impressive collective of fine musicians,” Stollak said. 

“Songs of Innocence and Experience” is based on the poetry of William Blake. The recording, which was nominated for four Grammy Awards in all, also was awarded the Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.          

When the Community Music School opened its doors for services in 1993 as an outreach program of the MSU School of Music, a children’s choir was one of its most important priorities, said John Martin, former director of the Community Music School.

“James Forger, director of the School of Music, told me ‘you need to talk to Mary Alice Stollak,’” Martin said. “The three of us had lunch, and the rest is history. Mary Alice’s passion and brilliance for working with young singers is renowned and is continuously demonstrated by the beautiful singing and sophisticated musicianship of her young choirs. For the last 13 years she has worked tirelessly for the children in the choirs, and I could not be more thrilled for her and the kids.”

 

 


*Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to read PDF documents.