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The SUNY Fredonia College Symphony Orchestra will join forces with the Masterworks Chorus and the Chautauqua Children’s Chorale to perform Carmina Burana by German composer Carl Orff, under the direction of Dr. David Rudge.

The event will serve as a benefit to raise scholarship funds for the School of Music and be held on Saturday, April 25 at 8 p.m. in King Concert Hall of the Rockefeller Arts Center.

The College Symphony Orchestra will also perform Serge Prokofiev’s Suite No. 2 from Romeo and Juliet, the ballet composed in 1935.

“It is a pleasure to be working with everyone in the Masterworks Chorus, College Symphony, Chautauqua Children’s Chorale and with our wonderful soloists,” said Director of College Symphony Orchestra Dr. Rudge. “This is the first time in many, many years that these forces have been joined, and I'm really looking forward to it.”

One of the most popular choral works of the twentieth century, Carmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed between 1935 and 1936. It is based on 25 of the poems found in the medieval collection Carmina Burana and is part of a trilogy of cantatas composed by Orff. The best-known movement is the "O Fortuna" chorus that opens and closes the piece. This chorus was first introduced as mass-market media in the 1981 film “Excalibur” and enjoyed tremendous popularity among the public following the movie's release, including various nontraditional appearances.

“Carmina Burana is such a ‘crowd pleaser’, with its explosive music, wonderful text, and celebration of love and springtime,” said Rudge. “It's also a chance for the community to participate in a scholarship benefit concert for the School of Music.”

Nancy Krestic, director of the Chautauqua Children’s Chorale, Dr. Donald P. Lang, director of Masterworks Chorus, and Dr. Rudge, director of the Fredonia College Symphony Orchestra, are all individually working with their ensembles to prepare for the collaborative event. With 31 members in the Children’s Chorale, 96 students in the Masterworks Chorus, and 94 members of the College Symphony Orchestra, a total of 220 musicians will fill the stage to perform the well-known masterpiece.

Soloists for the performance include Gwendolyn Coleman Detwiler, soprano; Gerald Gray, tenor; and Stephen Swanson, baritone.

“This benefit event is something that has needed to happen for a long time, as it is vital to maintain enrollment, and increase quality, said Rudge. “This should be a very exciting concert!”

Tickets for the concert are $10 for students and $20 for an adult, which includes a tax-deductible contribution of $10 with additional gifts to support music scholarships encouraged. All tickets are available online at , by calling 716-673-3501, or by visiting the ticket office located in G-144 of the William’s Center. For more information, visit or call 716-673-3151.