Professor conducts choir at Carnegie Hall
By Priscilla Castro
The Collegian
FRESNO STATE MUSIC professor Anna Hamre received what she believes is a once in a lifetime opportunity when she was asked to conduct a choir at the Carnegie Hall.
Hamre started teaching at Fresno State in the fall of 1999. More than a year ago Hamre was asked by MidAmerica Productions, a corporation that works with conductors from around the country, to conduct in New York. “It was very special to be asked,” Hamre said. Hamre conducted the second half of the concert, which MidAmerica Productions puts on once a year.
The choir Hamre conducted consisted of more than 280 people. Out of the chorus about 40 of them were current students and graduates of Fresno State.
When Hamre was allowed to take some of her students with her, she said she offered the opportunity to her singers who were in Concert Choir or Chamber Singers. Hamre also got to invite some valley high schools to go with her.
Those who traveled to New York with her from California were the Kingsburg High School Concert Choir, the Monache High School Chamber Singers, from Porterville, the Hanford West High School Concert Choir, and the San Marino Chamber Singers, and the Allan Hancock College Singers from Santa Maria.
Hamre said about two thirds of those who were in the choir had connections to the San Joaquin Valley.
The cost was around $1,300 for each student and no fund-raising was done. “I just wasn’t going to drag my students to do that,” Hamre said. “I told my students if you can go great, if not I still love you.”
NOT ALL OF her singers were from the California. Hamre also had some singers from Tennessee, whom she had not met before her arrival in New York. This presented a challenge for Hamre. Even though the students knew the notes, Hamre said, they still had to become one voice.
Another challenge for Hamre was the musical piece Faure’s “Requiem in D minor.”
The challenge with The Requiem is that it is intended for a small intimate setting, Hamre said. The piece was composed for a choir of about 40 people in a small concert hall. Her 283-person choir sang the piece in a concert hall meant to seat thousands.
Hamre said, “it’s magic,” to perform on the stage that many other famous composers got to perform on. “This is where great people of the world come to perform,” she said.
If she were ever invited to conduct at Carnegie Hall, Hamre said, “if they invite I will be there.” Hamre said she believes this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“I think I had my chance and I am very grateful for it,” said Hamre, “they sang extraordinarily well.”
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