Nationally, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh is one of the few symphonic choirs to operate a vocal training program for youth. The Junior Mendelssohn Choir (JMCP) was founded in 1986 by then Music Director Robert Page and Christine Jordanoff to provide talented youth, who were too old to perform with the Children’s Festival Chorus (now Pittsburgh Youth Chorus) and too young to perform with adult choruses, the opportunity to train with accomplished professional singers and music educators.
The Junior Mendelssohn Choir is the only program of its kind in the region. It provides talented youth with a rigorous, fast-paced musical environment in which to develop their vocal and ensemble singing skills. This kind of high-quality training program is vital to helping young singers learn the self-discipline, commitment to excellence, and ensemble-related skills necessary to succeed in music—and in life. Each year the Junior Mendelssohn is filled with the region’s best young voices representing many different school districts. Students in grade 9 to 12 from throughout the greater Pittsburgh area are eligible to audition for membership and scholarships ensure that no youth is turned away for financial reason.
The JMCP has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Plum Creek Chamber Orchestra and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.
