The mission of the Detroit Opera Youth Chorus is to provide exceptional choral music and theatrical performance instruction in a professional environment to young people. This instruction will foster their creativity, personal expression and social growth. Offering a curriculum that embraces diverse cultures and traditions and a rich and extensive range of musical genres, the program will seek to instill personal and artistic excellence in its students. In keeping with its role as a major cultural resource to the entire community, Detroit Opera will offer these unique learning opportunities to a diverse group of students from varied economic, cultural and social backgrounds.
HISTORY OF THE DETROIT OPERA YOUTH CHORUS (FORMERLY MICHIGAN OPERA THEATRE CHILDREN’S CHORUS)
The Detroit Opera Youth Chorus (DOYC), led by Detroit Opera Chorus Master Suzanne Mallare Acton, is a permanent children’s ensemble for metropolitan Detroit youth interested in vocal musical theatrical art. The Principal Chorus, ages 10-16, is directed by Assistant Director Dianna Hochella and the Preparatory Chorus, ages 8-11, is directed by Jane Panikkar. The DOYC performs as a separate ensemble as well as with international opera stars in Detroit Opera main stage productions.
Since 2007, the DOYC presents an annual winter concert in December and produces its own fully staged children’s opera every spring. Past performances have included the Detroit premiere of Seymour Barab’s The Maker of Illusions, the Detroit premiere of Cary John Franklin’s The Very Last Green Thing, Malcolm Williamson’s The Happy Prince and Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore . In March, 2014 Hans Krása’s Brundibár was presented with Ela Stein Weissberger, a Holocaust survivor and original cast member who participated in the production. All of the DOYC opera performances include a student dress rehearsal during the weekday making it possible for schools to attend, averaging more than 1500 students per dress rehearsal.
The DOYC (formerly MOTCC) has sung in the ballet The Nutcracker at both the Detroit Opera House and the Fox Theatre and the main stage productions for Michigan Opera Theatre’s Carmen, Tosca, La Bohème, The Magic Flute, and Carmina Burana. The children repeated their performance of Carmen at Lansing’s Wharton Center for the Performing Arts. Additional appearances have included a concert with Andre Rieu at the Fox Theatre, the Detroit premiere of Anne LeBaron’s Sukey, a work for string quartet and children’s choir with the Scarab Chamber Ensemble at Marygrove College and Wayne State University, and “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America” at several Detroit Tigers’ Games at Comerica Park.
Community appearances have included numerous holiday presentations at malls in the Detroit Metropolitan area, America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Random Acts of Culture throughout Detroit and the Detroit and Partridge Creek Tree Lighting Ceremonies. The children were invited to perform in concerts for the Franklin Community Church’s Vespers Concert Series and at the Ida Holiday Festival at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Ida, Michigan. The Ida concert was made possible in part by a grant from the Michigan Touring Directory. The DOYC sang in Rackham Symphony Choir’s “Voices for the Homeless: A Concert for Hope and Help” at Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Detroit, helping to raise awareness and support for the homeless. In December, 2011, the DOYC were featured in “Sing Out for Cass” a benefit concert for the Cass Community Social Services at the First United Methodist Church of Birmingham.
The chorus has made numerous television and radio appearances on Fox 2 News and WJR news. They were featured in the PBS television show “Ariel & Zoey, Eli Too” which aired nationally. The children were invited by composer Tim Janis to participate in his PBS special “Celebrate America”. This special was aired on WTVS in March, 2012. Recently, the children participated in Allee Willis’ music video of her new song “The “D”.
HISTORY OF THE DETROIT OPERA YOUTH CHORUS (FORMERLY MICHIGAN OPERA THEATRE CHILDREN’S CHORUS)
The Detroit Opera Youth Chorus (DOYC), led by Detroit Opera Chorus Master Suzanne Mallare Acton, is a permanent children’s ensemble for metropolitan Detroit youth interested in vocal musical theatrical art. The Principal Chorus, ages 10-16, is directed by Assistant Director Dianna Hochella and the Preparatory Chorus, ages 8-11, is directed by Jane Panikkar. The DOYC performs as a separate ensemble as well as with international opera stars in Detroit Opera main stage productions.
Since 2007, the DOYC presents an annual winter concert in December and produces its own fully staged children’s opera every spring. Past performances have included the Detroit premiere of Seymour Barab’s The Maker of Illusions, the Detroit premiere of Cary John Franklin’s The Very Last Green Thing, Malcolm Williamson’s The Happy Prince and Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore . In March, 2014 Hans Krása’s Brundibár was presented with Ela Stein Weissberger, a Holocaust survivor and original cast member who participated in the production. All of the DOYC opera performances include a student dress rehearsal during the weekday making it possible for schools to attend, averaging more than 1500 students per dress rehearsal.
The DOYC (formerly MOTCC) has sung in the ballet The Nutcracker at both the Detroit Opera House and the Fox Theatre and the main stage productions for Michigan Opera Theatre’s Carmen, Tosca, La Bohème, The Magic Flute, and Carmina Burana. The children repeated their performance of Carmen at Lansing’s Wharton Center for the Performing Arts. Additional appearances have included a concert with Andre Rieu at the Fox Theatre, the Detroit premiere of Anne LeBaron’s Sukey, a work for string quartet and children’s choir with the Scarab Chamber Ensemble at Marygrove College and Wayne State University, and “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America” at several Detroit Tigers’ Games at Comerica Park.
Community appearances have included numerous holiday presentations at malls in the Detroit Metropolitan area, America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Random Acts of Culture throughout Detroit and the Detroit and Partridge Creek Tree Lighting Ceremonies. The children were invited to perform in concerts for the Franklin Community Church’s Vespers Concert Series and at the Ida Holiday Festival at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Ida, Michigan. The Ida concert was made possible in part by a grant from the Michigan Touring Directory. The DOYC sang in Rackham Symphony Choir’s “Voices for the Homeless: A Concert for Hope and Help” at Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Detroit, helping to raise awareness and support for the homeless. In December, 2011, the DOYC were featured in “Sing Out for Cass” a benefit concert for the Cass Community Social Services at the First United Methodist Church of Birmingham.
The chorus has made numerous television and radio appearances on Fox 2 News and WJR news. They were featured in the PBS television show “Ariel & Zoey, Eli Too” which aired nationally. The children were invited by composer Tim Janis to participate in his PBS special “Celebrate America”. This special was aired on WTVS in March, 2012. Recently, the children participated in Allee Willis’ music video of her new song “The “D”.