Adelphian Concert Choir Takes the Stage at Carnegie Hall

The trip itself was a whirlwind. The ensemble departed early on a Wednesday morning. Students spent their first afternoon exploring the city before rehearsals began in earnest on Thursday. 

“On typical tours, we usually give a concert every day that we’re gone,” Winterfeldt said. “This was all leading up to the big performance at Carnegie. We had a couple of long rehearsals and a quick dress rehearsal, and then more time to explore the city. It provided a good bonding experience for the choir as well as a great musical experience.”

Outside of rehearsals, students immersed themselves in the cultural offerings of New York City, from bagels to the Empire State Building. Winterfeldt spent time exploring the city with her parents, who flew out from Minnesota to see her perform. In between rehearsals, they attended the Broadway musical Hadestown.

“My dad and I have been dreaming of seeing it since it came out,” Winterfeldt said. “It was fabulous.”

On Saturday night, the curtain came up at Carnegie Hall. The performance featured 100 singers, including the Adelphian Concert Choir, Puget Sound alumni, a soprano soloist, and other choirs from across the country, accompanied by the New England Symphonic Ensemble. After the concert, the group celebrated with a late-night harbor cruise around the island of Manhattan before heading to the airport for an early morning flight back to Tacoma.

“It was a lot,” Zopfi said. “But what an unforgettable experience.”

Founded in 1932, the Adelphian Concert Choir has long been a cornerstone of Puget Sound’s School of Music. The name “Adelphian” comes from the Greek word adelphos, meaning “brotherhood” or “fellowship,” a concept of community that continues to define the ensemble to this day.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be the steward of this group,” Zopfi said. “There’s a real sense of community, not just among current students but across generations.”

For the Carnegie Hall performance, the choir prepared a program centered on the works of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, including Serenade to Music, conducted by Zopfi.

The repertoire was selected specifically for the occasion, but it also reflects Zopfi’s broader philosophy of choral education — one rooted in the tradition of the liberal arts.

“I think of it as a four-year curriculum,” he said. “What do I want students to experience over that time? Renaissance music, 19th-century works, contemporary pieces, Broadway, vocal jazz — it’s about giving them a wide range of musical experiences. The music is our textbook.”

That approach challenges students to grow beyond traditional choral music, encouraging both individual musicianship and collaboration.

“In choir, you strengthen your musical talent every day, but you also strengthen your community, and then you get to share that with others,” Winterfeldt said.

For Zopfi, the chance to make music together and share it with an audience is what matters most — not the prestige of the venue. Still, he acknowledges that there’s something special about seeing his students perform on a historic stage.

“I know this will be something they remember for the rest of their lives,” he said. “And that’s what makes it meaningful.”