Acclaimed Copenhagen Girls Choir from Denmark makes So Cal Debut in Free Concert Presented by LA Children’s Chorus

The critically-acclaimed Copenhagen Girls Choir, based in Denmark and hailed for it unique vocal technique and repertoire, makes its Southern California debut in a free concert presented by the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) on Thursday, March 28, 2019, 7 pm, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. The Danish choir, under the direction of Anne Marie Granau, appears with the acclaimed Nordic folk band Afenginn and Danish pedal steel guitar virtuoso Maggie Bjorklund in a program of original new Danish music, including Gallop of Fire commissioned by the choir to commemorate those affected by the California wildfires. The choir also performs jointly with Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, led by Artistic Director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz. The concert adds to LACC’s long and storied history of championing and presenting international children’s choirs.

“LACC is proud to share the distinctive artistry of the Copenhagen Girls Choir with Southern California audiences,” says Malvar-Ruiz. “Their appearance also provides LACC choristers an opportunity to interact with these accomplished young artists and learn about their singing techniques and styles.” 

The Copenhagen Girls Choir, founded in 1973, is based at the Copenhagen Municipal Choir School and is under the patronage of H.R.H. Princess Benedikte. The Danish choir’s appearance with LACC caps a 12-day California coastal tour beginning in Northern California. The centerpiece of its program is the newly commissioned Gallop of Fire by composer Kim Nyberg with lyrics by Australian poet Marie E.J. Pitts, which commemorates last year's devastating California wildfires. Nyberg's compositions are often described as a mix between classical composition music and Scandinavian folk music, with the rounded beat of Eastern European music, a distinctive genre that has led to countless awards and accolades for the Danish music maker. He is also the leader of the chamber-pop ensemble Afenginn, which is touring with the choir and has performed with such artists as Frank London and the Klezmatics. Maggie Bjorklund, a mainstay in Jack White’s band, also joins the choir’s tour, adding her mesmerizing pedal steel guitar to the musical mix. The Copenhagen Girls' Choir consists of 130 girls from grades 6-9, and features a broad repertoire, with a special focus on new and popular music. The group is characterized by its homogeneous sound, a result of meticulous training. Acting as ambassadors for the city of Copenhagen and for Danish cultural life, the Copenhagen Girls' Choir has toured worldwide, performing in the U.S., Canada, China, Iceland and most of Europe.

The concert is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For information, visit www.lachildrenschorus.org or call (626) 793-4231.  Pasadena Presbyterian Church is located at 585 East Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101.

LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS (LACC), widely recognized for its agile bel canto sound and artistic excellence, has been lauded as “hauntingly beautiful” (Los Angeles Times), “astonishingly polished” (Performances Magazine) and “one of the world's foremost children's choirs” (Pasadena Star News). Founded in 1986 and led by Artistic Director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, who began his tenure in August 2018, LACC presents its own concerts and regularly performs with such organizations as LA Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale and Jacaranda, among others. The Chorus serves 400 children ages 6 to 18  in seven choirs – Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Mixed Voices Choir, Young Men’s Ensemble, Intermediate Choir, Apprentice Choir and Preparatory Choir – and a First Experiences in Singing program and First Experiences in Choral Singing Ensemble for 6-8-year-olds.  LACC, recipient of Chorus America’s 2014 Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, tours internationally, is the subject of three documentaries and has appeared on NBC's “The Tonight Show,” PBS’s “Great Performances,” BBC Radio, Public Radio International's “From the Top” and is featured on John Williams' latest recording, John Williams & Steven Spielberg: The Ultimate Collection.  www.lachildrenschorus.org.

FERNANDO MALVAR-RUIZ, internationally regarded choral conductor, clinician and educator, is the Artistic Director of Los Angeles Children’s Chorus. He has worked with children’s and youth choirs his entire career. From 2004 to July 2017, Malvar-Ruiz was the Music Director of The American Boychoir, leading some 150 performances and up to five national and international tours annually. He prepared the choir for appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra, among others, working with such conductors as Marin Alsop, Pierre Boulez, Charles Dutoit, Michael Tilson Thomas and Valery Gergiev and artists ranging from cellist Yo-Yo Ma, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and pop legends Beyoncé Knowles, Sir Paul McCartney and Josh Groban to opera singers Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman. He also conducted the choir on six recordings, led its performances on the Academy Awards and a 9/11 Memorial Service, broadcast globally on CNN and was the music director on the film “Boychoir.” Malvar-Ruiz previously served as The American Boychoir’s Associate Music Director from 2000-2004 under James Litton. An expert in the adolescent male evolving voice, Malvar-Ruiz has guest conducted children’s and youth choirs around the globe. He has a master’s degree in Choral Conducting from Ohio State University and completed the coursework toward a doctoral degree in from the University of Illinois.