UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Concert Choir in the School of Music and College of Arts and Architecture, under the direction of Director of Choral Activities Christopher Kiver, has been selected to perform at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) State Conference, one of the most prestigious annual gatherings of music educators and performers in the commonwealth.
The performance will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24, in the Ironwood/Aloeswood/Rosewood Room at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, Poconos. The PMEA State Conference brings together educators, students and professional musicians from across Pennsylvania for several days of concerts, clinics and professional development opportunities.
The Penn State Concert Choir will present "Caritas," a program of unaccompanied sacred music that reflects both historical depth and contemporary expression. The repertoire was carefully curated in preparation for the ensemble’s upcoming international tour to Greece, where performance venues require sacred works.
Spanning a wide range of musical periods and styles, the program highlights choral masterworks by composers including Tomás Luis de Victoria, Felix Mendelssohn, Knut Nystedt, Undine Smith Moore, Bec Tine, George Walker, Józef Świder and Mark Kilstofte. Together, these works explore themes of compassion, spirituality and human connection across centuries of choral tradition.
Through "Caritas," the Concert Choir will offer PMEA attendees a compelling and immersive choral experience, highlighting the power of the human voice in sacred spaces and continuing Penn State’s tradition of musical distinction on a statewide stage
The Penn State Concert Choir is an auditioned ensemble open to students from across the University Park campus and is recognized for its artistic excellence and commitment to expressive, stylistically informed performance. The ensemble regularly presents concerts on campus and has engaged in international touring, including a recent European tour that brought students into historic performance spaces across Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.
Selection to perform at PMEA represents a significant honor, as ensembles are chosen through a competitive application process and invited to perform for an audience of peers and leaders in music education. The invitation underscores the Penn State School of Music’s ongoing commitment to excellence in performance, education and outreach.