The Southwestern College A Cappella Choir has been selected to perform in New York City at Carnegie Hall in 2027, providing students with an opportunity to perform on a global stage.
Since its opening in 1891, Carnegie Hall has been recognized as a global and eminent concert venue and has been a host to some of the most celebrated musicians and musical ensembles in the world.
For members of the SC choir, the invitation represents a rare opportunity to perform in a venue with a long and distinguished musical history.
The SC Choir will be performing alongside ensembles from Cowley County Community College and the Wellington High School Crusader Singers. Together, they will be performing Elaine Hagenberg’s Illuminare!
The opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in 2027 began with an outreach from SC’s Director of Choral Activity, Voice and Band, Adam Lange. Lange contacted Dr. Bradley Vogel, a conductor who is associated with Carnegie Hall.
“I had reached out to the conductor, Dr. Bradley Vogel, last year about the potential of doing a project like this”, said Lange. “There was another opportunity we had last year, but it was too close to the performance date for us to pursue it”.
The opportunity came again in December, when the choir got an invitation through MidAmerica Productions, an eminent music production company, extending the invitation to sing at Carnegie Hall.
“We then got an email in December from the conductor through the organization, MidAmerica Productions, inviting the A Cappella Choir to sing at Carnegie Hall,” said Lange.
For Lange, the invitation came as an unexpected but exciting announcement.
“I was pleasantly surprised to receive the email from MidAmerica Productions!” he said. “As soon as I got it, I made sure to spread the news to everyone I knew!
Lange said the Southwestern College administration reacted positively towards the opportunity.
“The administration was so pleased to hear of this opportunity for our students!”
Unlike the normal selection process, A Capella choir was not mandated to submit recordings for this opportunity.
“Typically, ensembles need to send recordings of audition tapes to MAP; Southwestern College did not need to!” said Lange.
The Carnegie Hall performance will be a significant moment for the Southwestern College A Capella Choir. According to Lange, the choir had not participated in something like this since 2010.
“The students of A Cappella Choir will have their lives changed; this is the first time the choir has done something like this since 2010,” Lange said. “It is so special to be able to represent South Central Kansas on Carnegie Hall’s stage!”
The performance would give students an opportunity to work alongside professionals. The significance of the trip extends beyond the performance itself. For many members of the A Cappella Choir, the trip will also be an opportunity to travel to New York City and experience a part of the country they have never visited.
“Like Adam (Lange) said, this is an opportunity that the choir hasn’t had since 2010,” Austin Fairbanks, the Vice President of Social Affairs of the SC choir cabinet, said. “Most of the choir has never been to New York City and some have never even left the state of Kansas. This provides an amazing opportunity for the choir to get out there to experience the world and learn what is out there for them.”
Fairbanks also sees the performance as an opportunity to bring greater attention to Southwestern College and its music program.
The upcoming performance is more than a trip to New York City for Lange. He sees the opportunity as a milestone for the students and a hopeful future of the college’s performing arts program.
“Performing at Carnegie Hall is a major milestone. Not everyone gets to have an experience like our students are going to have in May,” he said. “This experience gives me hope for the direction of the Performing Arts at Southwestern College in the years to come.”
While the invitation presents an exciting opportunity, commuting from Winfield to New York City will come with significant amounts of expense. The choir is seeking donations from SC alumni, families, businesses, and from members all around the community to help with the cost of transportation, lodging, and other related travel expenses. The SC choir needs to meet the goal of raising $55,000. The cost for each student is $3,600. Due to upfront deposits required through the company that is organizing the trip, the SC Choir will need to raise $11,500 by Saturday, October 17, 2026. However, the choir will continue to accept donations to help with the remaining cost of their opportunity through March 1, 2027.
If you wish to donate by mail, you may do so by writing “Choir at Carnegie” on the memo line of the check and mail it to: Office of Institutional Advancement, Southwestern College, 100 College Street, Winfield, KS 67156. If you wish to donate online, visit the donation website here.
