The Chowan University Department of Music will present its Spring Choral Concert Saturday, April 27, at 7:30 PM in Turner Auditorium of McDowell Columns Hall.

Join the Department of Music for a joyful choral celebration featuring the Festival Mass by John Leavitt, as well as the "Hallelujah Chorus" and other favorite choruses from Handel's Messiah. Presented by Chowan Singers, Chamber Choir, and Community Chorus under the direction of Dr. Benjamin Thorburn, accompanied by Dr. Deborah Kiszely-Papp and guest instrumentalists.

Chowan Singers is a select ensemble of Chowan students who have presented numerous concerts throughout North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic region, and in recent years have performed in Ireland, Italy, and New York City. The Chamber Choir is a small ensemble of students who are music majors studying voice. The Community Chorus combines local talents with the talents of students, faculty, and staff at the University.

Thorburn, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, is a versatile singer with experience in art song, opera, oratorio, and early music. He has performed throughout Virginia, the mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast. As a music scholar, he is a specialist in Baroque music and performance practice and has presented his research at national and international conferences. He earned the Doctor of Philosophy degree in music history from Yale University and Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Rochester.

Kiszely-Papp, Assistant Professor of Music, is an active performer and lecture-recitalist who has collaborated with renowned artists in Europe and throughout the United States. She earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the City University of New York where she studied piano with Herbert Stessin. She completed her Master of Music degree as a student of György Sándor at The Juilliard School. Her Bachelor of Music degree is from the New England Conservatory of Music.

Mark your calendar now for the Chowan University Spring Choral Concert on April 27, at 7:30 p.m. in Turner Auditorium. The concert is free to the public. For more information contact Marion Foster, Secretary, Department of Music, at fostem@chowan.edu or 252-398-6236.

A repeat performance will be held April 28, at 3:30 PM at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. This performance is sponsored by Charles and Juanita Pond. Seating is reserved, for tickets contact Suffolk Center for the Cultural Arts at 757-923-2900 or visit suffolkcenter.org.