"It has been such an honor to be a part of cantabile these last few years. I joined in my sophomore year of highschool in the middle of the pandemic. Even with the challenges entailed by online choral singing, I was immediately struck by how welcoming the community was and how willing people were to lend a helping hand. It took me some time to get used to singing in choir as I had never done it before. But I couldn’t have asked for a better way to learn than by the guidance of Elena, Jace, the student conductors, and the whole of cantabile. Soon enough, we returned in person and I got to meet the other members of cantabile in person, and experience singing in a choir in person for the first time. It was a wonderful experience to be able to transfer my skills I had developed the previous year into the new environment.

I think one of my favorite memories in cantabile happened at the Berliner Philharmonie on our 2022 central europe tour. The importance of the concert was talked up beforehand and so I was a little nervous going in. But that wouldn’t last for long! It was a joint concert along with the Defrost Youth Choir, and we started with a song together. By the time we had gotten to our set, my mind had forgotten all about previous worries and I was fully engaged in the music and the experience of performance. Next, we got to watch the wonderful set by Defrost, which only made me even more eager to sing again. And luckily, we soon all ran back down to the stage for our final rendition of “Bridge Under Troubled Water” together. The memory of that song in particular, and celebrating with my friends afterward, will be kept with me forever.

Cantabile has been integral to my development as a singer and as a person during these formative years of my life. I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve received from Elena, Jace, Andrew, Ken, and all my wonderful friends who I've had the privilege of meeting in virtue of joining cantabile. I wish the choir all the best in its future, and I look forward to meeting you all again at future concerts!"