Notre Dame freshman chosen to sing at New York's Carnegie Hall among the world's finest high school performers.
Since opening in 1891, Carnegie Hall in New York City has been the setting for performances by the world’s finest artists, from Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Mahler and Bartók to George Gershwin, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Judy Garland and the Beatles.
You can now add to that list, Angela Carraher, a freshman at Notre Dame Prep, who performed last Sunday at the hallowed venue as part of the 2019 High School Honors Performance Series. Carraher performed in soprano with the Honors High School Choir, one of five Honors Ensembles chosen as the highest-rated high school performers from across the world.
Earlier this year, Carraher auditioned for the Honors Performance Series and was accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board. Acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication, and achievements demonstrated in her application and audition recording, according to event organizers. She joined performers from 46 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, several provinces of Canada, Australia, Bermuda, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Poland, Qatar, and South Korea for a special performance at the world-famous concert hall, a venue that typically marks the pinnacle of musical achievement.
Judged as one of the finest singers in the world, Carraher performs at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 10.
"It was very exciting to perform in New York and to meet people from all over the world who share my love of music," said Carreher, who spent a total of five days in the city from Feb. 7 through Feb. 11.
The series held two final concerts on Feb. 10: one with singers and another with instrumentalists.
According to Morgan Smith, program director, being selected to the Honors Performance Series is something each finalist should be extremely proud of accomplishing.
"We processed more than 18,000 nominations this year and have selected nearly 700 of the most talented student performers from around the world," she said. "Working with world-class guest conductors and performing at Carnegie Hall is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that these singers and musicians will never forget."
Carraher's preparation for this challenge actually began years ago when, in addition to studying piano and dance, she had been taking voice lessons from Oakland Township-based Ana McCardell for four years. She's also currently a member of the Chorus Nine performance group, which is part of NDPMA's chorus department, and has performed in a number of NDPMA stage productions.
More on the High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall:
The Honors Performance Series was created to showcase accomplished individual high school performers on an international level by allowing them to study under master conductors and perform in the celebrated venue, Carnegie Hall. The Honors Performance Series is proudly presented by WorldStrides, the nation’s leading educational travel organization. Learn more by visiting www.honorsperformance.org.
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
Follow Notre Dame on Twitter at @NDPMA.
About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org