The Olivet Nazarene University School of Music in coordination with the ONU Alumni Association will present its 88th performance of Handel’s Messiah in an expansive reunion concert, featuring a 250+ voice alumni and student mass choir, augmented University Orchestra, and professional alumni soloists. Dr. Neal Woodruff will conduct.
The annual event will take place earlier this year, allowing alumni vocalists and instrumentalists to participate. Tickets are required, and available at Olivet.edu/events.
Presented Saturday, October 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the 3000-seat Hawkins Centennial Chapel on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University, Messiah will be a key feature of the 2024 Homecoming celebration. Free parking is available.
This year’s performance will include a sing-along Hallelujah Chorus, inviting the entire audience, vocalists and musicians to join together as one grand, 3000+ voice choir, singing one of history’s finest choruses of jubilation and praise (Sheet music will be provided for all!)
Featured soloists include Metropolitan Opera and ONU alumnus bass-baritone Bradley Garvin, as well as Jenna Fawcett, Reuben Lillie, Ashlie McIntire and Cassandra Petrie. Select alumni instrumentalists have also been asked to join the University Orchestra for this special event.
The Messiah Reunion will be filmed for streamed online broadcast before the holidays, as well as for University Archives.
For group sales, or more information about Handel’s Messiah Reunion, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 815-939-5258.
Alumni of ONU choirs are still welcome to join the choir! More information may be found at Olivet.edu, or by calling the Office of Alumni Relations at 815-939-5258.
ABOUT HANDEL’S MESSIAH
Handel’s oratorio, Messiah, first performed in 1742, holds significant historical importance. Originally intended as an Easter celebration, it has become a staple of early Christmas celebrations. Its enduring popularity is a testament to its powerful music and profound message, setting holy scripture to music and verse. The oratorio’s ability to bring communities together in a shared cultural and spiritual experience underscores its lasting impact. Today, Messiah continues to inspire and awe audiences worldwide, maintaining its place as a cornerstone of classical music.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Bradley Garvin, Bass-Baritone, made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1993 in Beethoven’s Fidelio, and has since performed at the famed New York Opera house nearly every season since. He maintains a heavy performance schedule and has be seen around the world nearly a dozen times in MetOpera HD Live broadcasts both in cinemas and PBS stations. Last season he appeared in both Rigoletto and Der Rosenkavalier. His music can be found on Apple Music, as well as on various recordings. He is a 1987 graduate of Olivet.
Cassandra Petrie, Mezzo-Soprano, teaches voice and directs choirs at Manchester University and Grace College. She has performed in various festivals and young artist programs globally. In Summer 2024, she starred in Dead Man Walking and Cosi fan tutte. Cassandra is set to debut at Indianapolis Opera next season, and is active in musical theatre and choral groups in the Midwest. She is a 2016 graduate of Olivet.
Jenna Fawcett, Soprano, teaches private voice and maintains a schedule as a busy performer in theatre and concert alike. She has appeared as Potiphar’s Wife/Narrator u/s in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Citadel Theatre, as well Working and South Pacific (Dunes Arts Foundation), New Faces Sing Broadway 1964 (Porchlight), and June Carter Cash in Ring of Fire (Drury Lane, Williams Street Rep). She is a 2011 graduate of Olivet.
Reuben L. Lillie, Tenor, praised for his “virile sound” and “reliable technique” (Opera News), has performed in notable roles with DuPage Opera Theatre, Chicago Summer Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Vero Beach Opera, Sugar Creek Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. He has collaborated with chamber groups like Fourth Coast Ensemble and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. A graduate of Olivet Nazarene University, Chicago College of Performing Arts, and McCormick Theological Seminary, Reuben has served as an adjunct professor at Olivet. He was a Central Region Finalist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council. He lives in Chicago with his family. He is a 2011 graduate of Olivet.
Ashlie McIntire, soprano, is a Northern Colorado native. She received her B.M. in Vocal Performance from Olivet Nazarene University in 2010 and her M.M. in Vocal Performance from DePaul University in 2013. Some of her favorite performance credentials include Musetta in La Bohème, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, Diana/ Diana in Giove in La Calisto, Clorinda in La Cenerentola, and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. Ashlie has a private voice studio in Windsor, CO. When she’s not teaching or singing at church, she enjoys gardening, thrifting, baking and exploring her beautiful home state.
Neal Woodruff, Conductor, Associate Dean Olivet Nazarene University School of Music, joined the faculty in 2000. Dr. Woodruff currently conducts the University Orchestra and Concert Singers, and teaches applied voice/pedagogy, opera/music theatre, conducting, and church music. While serving his alma mater, his students have performed with prestigious opera companies and theatres. Dr. Woodruff studied under notable instructors and is a certified Somatic Voicework™ instructor. He serves on the Central Region Board of Directors for the National Association of Teachers of Singing and is the chorus master for Sugar Creek Opera.
Joshua Ring, Organist, a professor at Olivet Nazarene University since 2019, and proud alum, teaches music theory, aural skills, organ, composition, and piano. He has performed internationally, including at Cologne Cathedral and on the radio program Pipedreams. Dr. Ring recorded the album “Fanfare for a New Century” and has won several prestigious awards, such as the 2019 Organ Scholar Competition and the 2018 Young Organists Scholarship Competition. He holds a DMA in Organ Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa and has collaborated with composer Joshua Malavé.
Jeff Bell, (Director, Orpheus Choir) has been professor of music at Olivet Nazarene University since 1997, where he conducts the Orpheus Choir, teaches various music courses, and has produced three sacred music albums. Dr. Bell is a 1981 ONU alum, an organist and a published composer.
Marvin Jones (Director, Proclamation Orpheus Choir) A full-time faculty member since 2017, Dr. Jones teaches church music, worship, and worship leadership. He also leads the Proclamation Gospel Choir and tours with the choir each year. Marvin also serves on the Worship staff at College Church of the Nazarene.
