"What great experiences we all had singing at Heinz Hall, the Fiddlesticks concert, the church concert, and the home opener of Pirates baseball! "
Established in 1986 by Robert Page and Christine Jordanoff, Professor and Director of Choral Organizations at Duquesne University, as a joint training and performance project of the Mendelssohn Choir and the Carnegie Institute, the Junior Mendelssohn has since become the major component of the Mendelssohn Choir’s educational outreach program. Designed to complement the school vocal music curriculum, the opportunity to audition for the Choir is offered to students in every school district in the greater Pittsburgh region. Scholarships and mentoring are provided for students requiring assistance.
This season, its 24th, the choir of 41 singers represents 28 schools. Membership in the Junior Mendelssohn program is gained by audition and is offered to 9th through 12th-grade students. Interested students must apply to audition and must prepare their own voice part of a pre-selected piece.
Under the direction of Susan Medley, Music Director and Conductor, the Junior Mendelssohn prepares music for their annual concert following a ten-week training session in the Fall. Students receive instruction in sight-singing, diction, voice training and performance from the staff, which includes members of the professional core of The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.
The Junior Mendelssohn has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra, the Plum Creek Chamber Orchestra and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.
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