The magazine of Montclair State University Spring/Summer 2019

The 2018–2019 University Chorale made its Carnegie Hall debut in January, sharing the stage at a humanitarian concert and performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

“We are very excited to have them literally give voice to the voiceless millions,” says George Mathew, conductor and artistic director of Music for Life International, which presented the symphony to raise awareness of the plight of Rohingya refugees in Myanmar.

The Chorale, under the direction of Heather J. Buchanan, professor of music, is the core choral ensemble and symphonic choir in the John J. Cali School of Music and includes 160 students. Among them is soprano Alexa Tammone, a sophomore majoring in music education, who says the group’s debut on the hallowed stage was an honor.

“But it’s even more of an honor to be able to use my passion for music to help people in their times of hardship,” Tammone says. “Preparing for this concert was a powerful, eye-opening and incredibly meaningful experience.”

Proceeds from the concert benefited Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. Beethoven for The Rohingya was the eighth in a series of global humanitarian concerts presented by Music for Life International at Carnegie Hall.