Music at Monica's, the concert series of the Church of Saint Monica, Berwyn, is proud to present the renowned Keystone State Boychoir in a "Winter Concert" on Sunday, 29 January at 3 p.m. in the Church with music from around the globe. The concert is free and open to the public. A free-will offering will be accepted. Please join us! All are welcome!
Keystone State Boychoir channels the unique energy of boys into joyful music-making of the highest level, creating unforgettable choral experiences for both performers and audiences.Under the direction of Music Director Joseph P. Fitzmartin and Associate Music Director Steven M. Fisher, Keystone State Boychoir (KSB) consists of more than 150 young men between the ages of eight and 18 who sing an enthralling repertoire from the classical to the contemporary.The Philadelphia Inquirer review declared KSB's performance in the Bach St. Matthew Passion"excellent." In 2010, KSB made its debut with the American Choral Director's Association at the Eastern Division Conference in Philadelphia. The Boychoir's performance received rave reviews from some of the most respected choral personalities in the United States who were in attendance. Today, KSB is counted among the the finest, most successful community-based boychoir choral programs in the country.KSB has sung with the region's most distinguished ensembles, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Opera Company of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Singers, and at the region's most prominent venues, including Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Academy of Music, and the Mann Center for the Performing Arts. KSB has performed internationally at the Manaus Opera House in Brazil, the Hanoi Opera House in Vietnam, and the Petronas Philharmonik Hall in Malaysia, as well as in venues throughout Alaska, Canada, South Africa, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Australia., Monaco, France, Germany, Austria, and Bulgaria. In December 2009, KSB embarked on a concert tour of Chile as an official part of the country's 200th anniversary celebrations. While in Chile, the boys had the honor of presenting President Michelle Bachelet with Philadelphia's Liberty Bell as a birthday gift to Chile on behalf of the United States. The concert tour included an excursion to Chile's Frei Base on King George Island, Antarctica. There the boys sang for scientists from five countries, giving KSB the distinction of bringing the choral arts to the seventh continent for the first time. In doing so, KSB made history as the first choir to have sung on every continent.The KSB experience centers on its truly joyful music-making. The vibrant sound of the choir is enhanced by its compelling and energetic stage presence. Fitzmartin and Fisher believe that today's choral music must be seen and felt, as well as heard, if the art form is to continue to thrive and to attract new audiences.Keystone State Boychoir and its sister-choir, Pennsylvania Girlchoir, are members of Commonwealth Youthchoirs, founded in 2001 by Joseph P. Fitzmartin and Steven M. Fisher. Under the leadership of Executive Director Susan S. Ashbaker, this non-profit organization is committed to offering exemplary choral music education and performance opportunities to young people from diverse economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, while nurturing leadership skills, building character and encouraging self-discipline.
