TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) – Three Florida A&M University Concert Choir students have been selected to showcase their talents during the 2017 Young Adult Honors Performance Series at the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City.
As members of the honors choir, school officials said their February 5 performance will mark a significant milestone as they were chosen from a pool of students from across 45 states in the U.S. and two provinces in Canada.
Maiya Stevenson, Akeisha Mandela, and Kyrik Gaines will perform before thousands on the world-renowned Ronald O. Perelman Stage.
“I am excited about the opportunity to perform at this historic concert venue,” said Gaines, who is a voice student of FAMU professor Marcus Rhodes. “Performing at Carnegie Hall will help to highlight the diverse, talented musical organizations and groups that our university has to offer.”
Mandela, a senior music performance student, sees this moment as an inspirational learning opportunity that will be beneficial for her and her classmates.
“This opportunity means there are more doors opening. It also means that as long as I apply myself, there are no goals too big for me,” Mandela said. “I'm very excited to partake in such an experience and to bring back as much knowledge as I can for my classmates and friends that are also pursuing classical music.”
Officials said that under FAMU’s acclaimed choral program, students have also performed with Grammy winners such as Phil Driscoll, Richard Smallwood, and the amazing Three Mo’ Tenors.
The Young Adult Honors Series at Carnegie Hall assembles some of the most talented college-aged and young adult vocalists in the world to experience the thrill of working with master conductors and performing in one of the most prominent concert halls.
