Thank you to The Wren Foundation for sponsoring this event and providing this experience for JM students entirely free of charge!
JM artists travel to the Meymandi Concert Hall at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh for Handel’s “Messiah,” perhaps the world’s most renowned choral work, performed by the North Carolina Symphony and North Carolina Master Chorale. Excellent seating will be in the front section of the orchestra level, on the 12th through 16th rows, where students will not only enjoy the music, but also be able to see individual musicians perform.
Immediately after the concert, JM students will enjoy a special “meet and greet” with musicians who will give a quick overview of their musical journeys before students have a chance to ask questions about the performance and discuss anything else of interest. Musicians participating in the “meet and greet” will be announced later for this session that concludes with time for photos and autographs.
Though the oratorio by George Frideric Handel received a modest reception when it debuted in Dublin in 1742, “Messiah” is now one of the world’s most performed choral works and has become an important part of Western culture. It features the “Hallelujah” chorus — now performed during the Christmas season, though it was composed in the oratorio as an Easter anthem — as well as many other notable choruses and arias.
Soloists scheduled are soprano Rachele Gilmore, mezzo soprano Taylor Raven, tenor Aaron Crouch and bass Weston Hurt. Conducting the North Carolina Symphony is Katharina Wincor.
This event is part of our 2025-26 Pinnacle of the Arts series providing an opportunity for JM students to experience world-class arts. And thanks to The Wren Foundation, there is no charge for anyone to attend this event.
About 30 students attend each event entirely free of charge — including a meal and transportation. Other events in this year’s series include a tour of stunning outdoor murals in Greensboro with a hands-on spray-paint workshop led by street artist Jenna Rice and a daylong, behind-the-scenes exploration of the North Carolina Museum of Art. Also, performances of jazz by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, contemporary dance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and “Hamilton” on its North American Broadway Tour.
👉 If you, your business or your nonprofit might be willing to sponsor an event for this or next season, please contact us! This is a remarkable opportunity to shape the lives of young artists.