DECEMBER 4, 2011
HOLIDAY CONCERT

Featuring 
Happy Singers and Chinese Musical Voices
Wennie Nai-Yueh Niu, Conductor
Enrique Rodrigues
Community Chorus

Program
Butterfly Lovers
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet
Festive Sounds of Hanukkah
Handel "The Messiah" (Excerpts)

Return to 2011-12 Season

The Happy Singers and Chinese Musical Voices are both directed by their highly-acclaimed choral conductor, Wennie Nai-Yueh Niu. 

The Chinese Musical Voices and Happy Singers have made joint appearances in Avery Fisher Hall of Lincoln Center in New York City.  The Chinese Musical Voices was formed in 1988 by the residents of Southern New Jersey and the greater Delaware Valley region. It has participated in a concert at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, celebrating the 125th anniversary of Philadelphia Chinatown. In 2010, the chorus was invited to participate in the Globalization Concert of Temple University, performing with six other Chinese choruses in the famous “Yellow River” Cantata. 

The Happy Singers was formed in 1993 with residents from the Greater Princeton area.  It is devoted to community service and promoting Chinese culture via choral music.  It has appeared in concert frequently in the West Windsor International Cultural Festival, and Plainsboro Founder’s Day and Cultural Day. The Happy Singers has also performed in charity events for Habitat for Humanity, Taiwan Earthquake Relief, Alzheimer Foundation, and the West Windsor Senior Center.

Wennie Nai-Yueh Niu received her Masters degree in Music from Northwestern University and Bachelors degree from the National Taiwan Normal University. In addition to numerous famous voice masters, she has worked with Jannet Bookspan and Joan Dornamann, coaches for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Ms Niu has performed widely as a vocalist in Chicago, New Jersey, and New York. She has played major roles in "The King and I," "Cosi Fan Tutte," "Don Giovanni," "Amal and the Night Visitors," "La Boheme," "Rigoletto," "Hansel and Gretel," and "The Pirates of Penzance." She has been widely acclaimed for her many solo recitals. Ms. Niu has also conducted university choral groups in Taiwan.  She is devoted to promoting musicianship in her community and the next generation of young musicians.

Nine-year-old Enrique Rodrigues is a 4th grade student at the Warren Point Elementary School in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. He is a student of Duoming Ba of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Under her tutelage, Enrique won the Gold Medal in the 2011 NJ American Strings Teachers Association Solo Competition, First Prize in the New Jersey Music Teachers Young Musicians Competition, and a Bronze Medal in the 2011 Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra Young Artists Competition. He has performed at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall and Merkin Concert Hall as a winner in the Golden Key Music Festival, Prima International Competition, and the MusicFest Competition. In the summer of 2011, Enrique met with the world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell, who took a personal interest in Enrique's musical growth after seeing videos of his performances. Enrique is a member of the Bravura Youth Orchestra.