When the Rolling Stones wanted a choir to sing with them during Tuesday’s performance at Summerfest, the legendary rockers found what they needed at UWM.
Two dozen members of the UWM Concert Chorale, the school’s elite choral group, joined the Stones on stage at the world’s largest music festival. For the students, it was the biggest crowd – and biggest thrill – of their budding careers.
Jorge Quintero, 37, of Chicago, was excited by the opportunity to rock after a career in professional ballet and mostly classical training while working on a degree in voice and dance.
“The Rolling Stones are a part of everyone’s music upbringing,” Quintero said. “I mean, my parents played the Rolling Stones all the time. There are songs you can’t ever disassociate from your life, like ‘Satisfaction,’ and ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want.’”
For Jennifer Hansen, 29, of Janesville, the music evoked memories of her late father and his collection of vinyl Stones albums.
“I think he would probably be pretty impressed” if he could have been at the show, said Hansen, who will fly to Los Angeles on Saturday for intensive training with the prestigious OperaWorks program.
The Stones came to UWM in part because they wanted a choral sound, said Zack Durlam, director of choral activities at the university. But one hallmark of the program at the Peck School of the Arts is instruction that encourages students to “be as versatile as they want to be.”
“While not everyone will get to perform with the Rolling Stones, everyone gets opportunities to perform in unique ways,” Durlam said.
Another big plus was choir members’ already extensive experience on stage. A half-dozen of the choir’s 31 members were absent Tuesday because they are involved in summer training programs or other projects in Europe and the United States.
Quintero said he felt privileged to perform with such a talented group.
“I was a professional dancer and danced for a really long time, but voice and vocal performance is a completely different kind of discipline. You’re completely vulnerable when you sing,” he said. “It was a little intimidating at first, but it’s become such an amazing experience.”
Both students said they felt fortunate to be studying in Milwaukee, with its many theater, music and dance companies.
“Milwaukee is just booming with art,” Hansen said. “It’s a very classical friendly city as well. We have several opera companies. You can always find a show going on.”
Quintero said that while performing with the Stones at Summerfest was “a dream,” he also treasured an April concert the choir did at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Hearing the voices float through the building designed by famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava “was almost like you’re in heaven.”
