Friday and Saturday events planned for LAH resident Charlene Archibeque
 Archibeque |
San Jose State University Choral Alumni and friends plan to celebrate the 47-year legacy of Charlene Archibeque, a Los Altos Hills resident and 35-year music professor at SJSU, with a special weekend of two concerts and activities in downtown San Jose.
Former SJSU Concert Choir and Choraliers members, now singing professionally, will present “Artist Showcase” 5:30 p.m., Friday, in the SJSU Concert Hall. Singers include Opera San Jose leads Lori Decter, soprano, Joseph Wright, bass-baritone, Sandra Rubalcava, mezzo, and David Cox, director/baritone. Other world-renowned singers will return from Europe and New York City to perform solos and duets.
“Artist Showcase” tickets are $25 for preferred seating and $15 for general admission and alumni. An alumni reunion buffet/mixer will follow the artist showcase in the student union ballroom on campus at a cost of $25 per person.
On Saturday, more than 250 singers will reunite on the stage of the lavishly restored California Theatre as the 2005 Choraliers, Alumni Choraliers and Concert Choir Alumni will perform the “On Wings of Song Concert” at 3 p.m. The concert will feature a variety of favorite choral works presented by Archibeque’s choirs through the past 35 years, including works by Bruckner, Mechem, Tchesnokov and Moses Hogan.
“On Wings of Song Concert” tickets are $20 per person (alumni/general admission) or $35 and $50 (preferred and benefactor seating) and are available through Symphony Silicon Valley at (408) 286-2600, ext. 23, or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Half-price tickets are available for students 12 and under by contacting Brenda McHenry at the ticket office, (408) 286-2600, ext. 23.
A reception where guests can personally greet Archibeque and meet singers and friends will be held immediately following the “On Wings of Song Concert” at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Tickets for the reception are included with the “Dr. Archibeque Retirement Banquet” or can be ordered separately for $15.
The evening concludes with the “Dr. Archibeque Retirement Banquet” at the Park Center Ballroom in the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 general admission, or $150 donor seating.
Archibeque is one of the nation’s best-known choral conductors and clinicians. For 30 years she was the director of choral activities at SJSU and taught the concert choir, the men’s and women’s glee clubs, and the chamber singers and brought the Choraliers to worldwide fame through numerous international tours. She taught the choral methods and literature classes as well as choral conducting and initiated the style and performance practices class as part of the Music Masters degree.
More than 80 conductors have graduated from SJSU with master’s degrees in choral conducting under her supervision and hold major positions in universities, schools, churches and community choirs in the United States and abroad. Many singers who performed under her direction have gone on to major careers as soloists with opera companies worldwide as well as recording artists and successful voice teachers.
For 47 years, choirs under Archibeque’s direction have been invited to perform for regional, state, divisional and national music conventions.
The San Jose State Choraliers, under Archibeque’s direction, have taken top prizes at seven prestigious international choral competitions and have gone on 16 concert tours to Europe, Australia and Mexico. They have been selected to perform at more than 25 professional conferences, including three National Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and the Music Educators National Conference.
For ticket information, event details and online purchases, call (408) 924-4333 or log on to www.charlene-archibeque.com.
