OPHS choir to sing at Carnegie Hall

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers BIG TIME—The Oak Park High School Choir will perform at Carnegie Hall next April 24. Students are holding real piggy banks to promote their Coins for Carnegie program to gather loose change, one of several fundraising activities to help finance the approximately $90,000 needed for the trip. Since Carnegie Hall in New York opened its doors over 100 years ago, the famous concert hall has been a Mecca for entertainers the world over. Known as “the house that music built,” the New York landmark has hosted some of the greatest musicians, singers and orators in recent history.

This year, 57 members of the Oak Park High School choir program will become part of the hall’s illustrious history as they join 300 singers to perform the world premiere of Ed Lojeski’s classical Mass, “Missa Americana” on April 24. Lojeski, 63, will conduct the piece, which will be performed by the New England Symphonic Orchestra.

“We sang at the Hollywood Bowl this summer,” said Eileen Dorfman, a choir member and founder of the high school’s choir club. “I thought i t couldn’t get any better than that and now, to sing at Carnegie Hall, it’s the most prestigious venue in music.”

The high school choir sang at Stephen Sondheim’s 75th birthday celebration at the Hollywood Bowl last July.

Heidi Cissell, the high school’s choir teacher, said the invitation to sing at Carnegie Hall was extended to her students by Lojeski, a Calabasas resident, after he heard them sing during a choir workshop earlier this year.

“I was particularly impressed by their vocal blend and balance, their dedication to what they were doing (and) their whole demeanor,” Lojeski said. “It’s rare today . . . to see this kind of dedication in students, and these students were very dedicated . . . I thought they were certainly worthy to be part of this event we’re having in April.”

Lojeski has performed and composed music professionally for nearly 50 years—a career that included nine years working with Elvis Presley.

Lojeski said “Missa Americana” will infuse elements of American jazz into his Mass— something not typically done in classical composition.

Although Lojeski composed music for the popular television shows “Mannix,” “Medical Center” and “The A-Team,” he continued working in the Conejo Valley. Lojeski was a music teacher at Agoura High School from 1966 to 1976 and has been the director of music at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Westlake Village since 2000.

Most recently, Lojeski performed in a benefit concert with his 18-piece Ed Lojeski All Star Big Band at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. Proceeds from the event went toward the Conjeo Valley Youth Orchestras.

Cissell and Lojeski met at Westminster Presbyterian, where Cissell works as the assistant music director. Their relationship sparked Lojeski to sit down with the Oak Park students and help coach them on a number of singing techniques.

Lojeski liked what he heard, and within a few months he extended the invitation for the class to sing his Mass at Carnegie Hall.

“Mr. Lojeski is very professional, but very patient,” said senior Samantha Gold, a member of the prestigious California AllState Honor Choir. “He showed us the magic of a piece when it’s performed properly.”

Cissell first began teaching chorale in 1999 to 15 students at Medea Creek Middle School. In the past six years, her program has grown to 75 high school students in advanced and beginners classes.

A veteran of Carnegie Hall herself, Cissell said this is one of the most talented group of students she has taught while working at Oak Park.

“I love working with students who really want to be challenged, and, at the same time, I love the kids who like to be playful and know how to have fun,” Cissell said.

According to Cissell, it will cost about $1,600 per student to attend. She said 17 chaperones are expected to go.

“Some parents have indicated that if they had to, they would pay the entire amount,” Cissell said. “However, all parents would like the cost to be reduced, especially since we have some families where the parent is going and they have three children, triplets, in choir. For families like that, there is a great financial need.”

To raise money for the trip, the students are collecting change, recycling cans and selling calendars to friends and family. The choral class also plans to host a dancea-thon benefit on Sat., Feb 4.

Although Cissell said the task of organizing the trip for so many students seemed daunting, help from parents has made the trip possible.

“I have the most wonderful group of parents,” Cissell said. “It’s really been fun for me to do this because I have gotten to know the parents, and they are really wonderful people . . . that’s worthwhile in itself.”

To make a donation to Oak Park’s choir, call Principal Lynn McCormack at (818) 735-3300.