NC State Chorale tours Italy, joins guest choir at St. Peter’s Basilica

The North Carolina State University Chorale returned on May 19, 2014 from its highly-praised concert tour through central Italy, including performances in Rome, Florence and Assisi.

The highlight of the 9-day tour was the Chorale’s unique opportunity, on Saturday, May 17 to serve as the guest choir at Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in The Vatican. For this service, the Chorale sang five works, including masterpieces by the Italian composers Palestrina and Monteverdi, whose sacred compositions have been sung at St. Peter’s for centuries.

Other performances included a concert at Chiesa di Sant’ Agnese in Agone in Rome, a concert at Chiesa di San Gaetano in Florence, and a Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.

In addition to performing, the students visited many of Italy’s most famous historical sites, such as the Roman Forum and Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, and the Ponte Vecchio, and encountered great art and culture, including Michelangelo’s David, the Uffizi Gallery, and the Vatican Museums.

Happily, NC State alumni were in the audience at each concert, as well as other people from the state and region (including a member of the ARTS NC STATE Board of Advisors). The tour was a mountaintop experience for our students — one that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

The NC State Chorale is the premier vocal ensemble at NC State University. Dedicated to upholding the highest standards of the choral art and the collegiate choral tradition, the State Chorale is comprised of approximately 50 student singers, all of whom are earning degrees in fields other than music.