Last modified: Tuesday, December 2, 2008
IU Singing Hoosiers to perform in D.C. at inaugural ball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 2, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University Singing Hoosiers will be a part of history in the making on Jan. 19 when they perform at the Indiana Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., one of several inaugural balls celebrating President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th president of the United States on Jan. 20.
Fifty members of the show choir and its 14-year director, Jacobs School of Music Professor Michael Schwartzkopf, will travel by bus to the nation's capital on Friday, Jan. 16, then enjoy a day of sightseeing on Saturday and perform a concert sponsored by the IU Alumni Association and the Washington, D.C., IU Alumni Chapter at Blake High School in Silver Spring, Md., on Sunday.
On Monday evening, Jan. 19, the Singing Hoosiers will perform for approximately 900 party goers at the Inaugural Ball at the Omni Shoreham Hotel on Connecticut Avenue. Their performance will include Indiana state songs, songs written by Indiana composers Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael, and a wide variety of music from the popular music genre and Broadway.
"This invitation to the Singing Hoosiers is an exciting opportunity and honor for Indiana University and the students to participate in a very historic event in our nation's capital," said Schwartzkopf. "On behalf of the Singing Hoosiers, I want to thank the Indiana Society of Washington, D.C., for the invitation and President McRobbie, Dean Richards, the IU Alumni Association and others within the IU administration for their support in making this experience possible."
Obama, Gov. Mitch Daniels, Sen. Richard Lugar, Sen. Evan Bayh and Indiana members of the U.S. House of representatives and General Assembly have all been invited to the black-tie affair, although it is uncertain who will attend.
The choir members hope to get tickets to the inauguration and watch the parade before returning home.
