School of Music Choirs Sing in Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Season Finale
News
Choirs from Southern Adventist University’s School of Music performed Verdi’s Requiem in partnership with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera (CSO) Chorus and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chamber Singers at Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in April.
Performed by a full orchestra and more than 200 singers, the concert marked the end of the 2025-2026 CSO season. The combined choir was conducted by prizewinning CSO Music Director Ilya Ram, whose creative and engaging reputation spans the globe.
“Our students learned a lot by singing with a more experienced choir,” says Rina Ritivoiu, DMA, director of Southern’s vocal ensembles. “This was an ideal musical mentoring opportunity. Requiem brought so many communities together, and the energy it created was very powerful!”
Joseph Manzanillo, senior web and new media design major, says, “I’ve been a member of the university choirs for two years, and this was a great way to finish out my last semester.”
Sophomore nursing major Micah Bright adds, “It was an amazing experience that made all the long hours totally worth it.”
Preston Carter, freshman music major, shares, “Being part of a choir that size is always inspirational, and to work with an ensemble and a conductor of that caliber was just a magnificent experience.”
This is the second time Southern’s choir has joined the CSO in concert, following a spring 2023 performance of Mozart’s Requiem.
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