Photo Credit from the 2021 Winter Concert: Christmas City Studio

 

BETHLEHEM, PA– The acclaimed music department of the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts (Charter Arts) will hold its popular Winter Concert Series next week with stunning performances featuring the school’s various choirs and ensembles.

 

The 2022 Winter Choral Concert, December 12 & 13 at 7 PM, will feature performances by the school’s choirs as well as a combined finale featuring all choral singers with a performance of “Winter” by Z. Randall Stroope . The concert will feature works by Mozart, Sarah Quartel, Eric Whitacre, Elaine Hagenberg, Josephine Poelintz, and Bob Chilcot, and more!  The vocal music department is led by Erica Dickson.

The 2022 Winter Instrumental Concert, December 16 at 7 PM, will feature a performance of Berlioz’ Hungarian March by the Charter Arts Orchestra, Variations on a Korean Folk Song by the Charter Arts Wind Ensemble, salsa music from the Percussion Ensemble and some holiday favorites from the school’s Guitar Ensemble!   The instrumental music department is led by Matthew Wells.

The school’s jazz program and jazz ensembles will be showcased at a Holiday Jazz Cafe performance on December 19th at 7 PM.

All concerts will take place in the Charter Arts Theatre, located on the school’s campus at 321 East 3rd Street, Bethlehem.

Ticket information for each concert is posted on the school’s website, www.CharterArts.org.

ABOUT THE CHARTER ARTS MUSIC DEPARTMENT:
Instrumental Music and Vocal Music are two distinct individual departments at Charter Arts. However, some of the courses are required of both majors while others are department-specific. Instrumental students are provided large ensemble experience through Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Charter Arts Big Band and Percussion Ensemble. Small ensembles such as Advanced Jazz Combo, Pop/Jazz Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Chamber Ensemble, and String Ensemble also boast a full concert schedule. Through community partnerships, students also perform at various venues across the Lehigh Valley.

In the Charter Arts Vocal Music program, students learn to read music at an advanced level, as well as understand the historical setting of the pieces in their musical repertoire. The faculty helps them listen analytically, with skills that develop both their critical sense of music and thought. Working with each other, students learn teamwork and become creative and cooperative members of musical ensembles.

Beyond ensembles, the music curriculum is vast and challenging. Students have four years of music theory and four years in a technique class where the vocalists work with a vocal specialist and the instrumentalists work with a specialist in their instrument family. Along with a collection of music electives, these classes prepare students for careers as professional musicians, music majors in college or university, and/or lifelong lovers and learners of music.

ABOUT THE LEHIGH VALLEY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS (Charter Arts):

Charter Arts is an audition-based public charter school that provides a comprehensive curriculum for high school students, grades 9-12, who have a dedicated passion for the creative and performing arts.   Students major in one of seven artistic areas: dance, instrumental music, literary arts, production arts, theatre, visual arts, or vocal music.

Charter Arts is proud to celebrate its nineteenth year as one of the most respected high schools for the arts in the nation.  Charter Arts was named a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.  Recently, Charter Arts was ranked #1 Best Public High School Teachers in PA and #1 Best Charter High School in PA on Niche’s 2023 Best Schools in America Rankings.

 

Auditions for the 2023-2024 school year will be held  in JanuaryFebruary. Auditions are by appointment only.  For more information, visit www.CharterArts.org.

Charter Arts is located at 321 East 3rd Street, Bethlehem PA 18015.

 

Information & Image Provided By:
Ann Gillette
Manager of Public Relations and Media
Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts
321 East 3rd Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
www.CharterArts.org

 

---