Check Carnegie Hall off the bucket list
Virginia Tech Choir members gained professional experience and made their dreams a reality by performing Mozart’s Requiem with the New England Symphonic Ensemble this summer.
For music education major Megan McBride, the invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall this past summer was more than an exciting opportunity — it was a once in a lifetime experience that she could check off the bucket list she created in the eighth grade.
New York City's Carnegie Hall, known for its rich history of performances by talented musicians, is a symbolic benchmark for artistic success for many music enthusiasts.
“I can remember the second we walked onto the stage,” McBride said. “I had to tell myself this was real — it just didn’t feel real."
McBride’s moment in New York City came about three months after she and several other singers in the Virginia Tech Choir joined the Blacksburg Master Chorale and Virginia Tech Philharmonic to perform Mozart’s Requiem at the Center for the Arts at Virgina Tech.
With that performance under their belts, six students and their professor, Dwight Bigler, accepted an invitation to sing the choral masterpiece once again, but this time at Carnegie Hall as part of the New England Symphonic Ensemble.
Turning aspirations into milestones
When she was a middle schooler with a passion for theatre, McBride created a bucket list in her journal, writing “Perform at Carnegie Hall” in between “Be in at least five Broadway shows” and “Perform at Kennedy Center.” This summer, standing on the same stage where many of her idols have performed, McBride’s dream became a reality.
“When I went home after the trip, I found the bullet journal,” McBride said. “It’s sweet that I can cross one of those random goals off my list.” A bullet journal is a type of journal for people who prefer a more freeform style of expression.
Not only did McBride share the stage with choruses from across the U.S. as part of the New England Symphonic Ensemble, but she also sang alongside her closest friends, Virginia Tech Choir members who shared the same dream.
“Growing up, I always wanted to be a singer, and performing at Carnegie Hall always felt like the peak,” said Caroline Rogers, a senior multimedia journalism major. “I got to sing on stage next to my best friends. It is one of those core memories that I will never forget.”
Bringing mentorship full circle
The performance also stood out because the students performed with their professor’s own faculty mentor, Shulamit Hoffman. Hoffman is an adjunct faculty member at the College of San Mateo in California and served as conductor for the New England Symphonic Ensemble’s performance in New Your City.
“Singing in Carnegie Hall this summer with six of our Virginia Tech Choir singers under the direction of one of my past mentors was an unforgettable experience,” said Bigler, professor of music and director of choral activities in the School of Performing Arts within the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design.
Hoffman, who began teaching Bigler piano when he was 14, invited Bigler and the Virginia Tech Choir members to perform in the prestigious venue.
“It was awesome to see a woman of her stature in that position conducting in Carnegie Hall with a huge orchestra,” McBride said. “That was inspiring. That is what I want to do; I want to connect with people in the way she did. I was thinking to myself, ‘You are the exact role model I needed.’”
Building confidence for future careers
Before the concert, feelings of nervousness and excitement filled the air of the hotel room as the Virginia Tech Choir members got ready together for the performance. After years of hard work and dreaming, it was almost time for the real deal.
“To me, singing at Carnegie Hall meant that I could do anything I put my mind to,” Rogers said. “It sounds cheesy but it’s true. Work for it and try hard enough.”
Under the lights of a famous venue, standing with their closest friends and other singers from across the country, the Virginia Tech students sang Mozart’s Requiem and fulfilled a shared dream.
“It was such an affirming feeling,” McBride said. “Studying music education can be very exhausting, so moments like that remind me that I’m in the right field.”
Written by Ashley Falat, a senior communications major
