Mary Alice Stollak will take the podium one last time before she retires as director of Michigan State University’s Children’s Choir. Stollak founded the much-acclaimed choir in 1993.
In honor of Stollak’s career and dedication to the MSU Children’s Choir, the MSU Community Music School is hosting a farewell concert at 7 p.m. May 14 in the Wharton Center for Performing Arts Cobb Great Hall.
Tickets are $9 and can be purchased at Wharton Center’s box office. They are also available at the Community Music School through May 8.
Over the past 15 years, Stollak and the Children’s Choir received two Grammy Awards, represented the United States at the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music, and performed at venues including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Carnegie Hall in New York City.
“Mary Alice is a gifted educator,” said James Forger, dean of the College of Music. “She has a passion and talent for working with young voices. As founding director, she has worked tirelessly to develop a culture of excellence, professionalism, and camaraderie.”
The Children’s Choir is one of the programs offered at the MSU Community Music School, which is part of the outreach division of the College of Music.
Stollak built the children’s choir into what MSU Community Music School Executive Director Rhonda Buckley calls a world-class program.
Stollak announced her retirement in January 2008, asking her older choir members, who were contemplating their own retirements, to stay one more year to help her and the choir prepare for its most recent professional engagement, “Songs for Lada.” The cantata was part of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s “From Russia with Love” program in January. All but eight choir remembers returned for Stollak’s final year.
The choir will perform one of the movements from “Songs for Lada” at the farewell concert in addition to some of the choir’s favorite pieces since its inception.
Robert Jager’s “I Dream of Peace” will be the major work for the concert. The multi-movement work draws its text from the poetry of children in war-torn Bosnia. The concert also includes a world premiere of a work commissioned from Rollo Dillworth in honor of Stollak’s retirement.
“When you love what you do, there never is a good time to step down,” Stollak said. “Retiring while I thoroughly enjoy what I’m doing and while the program is successful and healthy will help the next director and the vitality of the program.”
After conducting an international search, the Community Music School selected Kristin Zaryski, who will receive her master’s degree in choral conducting from MSU this spring, to fill the directorship.
“She has built a wonderful organization that has soared to incredible heights,” Zaryski said of Stollak. “I feel blessed to have her support as we make this transition together and want to thank her for laying such a wonderful foundation for music making and learning.”
For more information about the farewell concert or auditions for the MSU Children’s Choir, contact the Community Music School at (517) 355-7661. For tickets, call the Wharton Center Box Office at 1-800-WHARTON or (517) 432-2000 for tickets.
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