An arranged composition by Lee University’s Dr. Jonathan Rodgers was recently premiered at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The piece, an arrangement of Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home,” was performed by The Southern Chorale of the University of Southern Mississippi as part of the 2016 Gotham SINGS! Ensemble Showcase.

“I’m so thankful for the chance to represent not only the University of Southern Mississippi (my alma mater) but also Lee University,” said Rodgers. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to write it and that it was chosen for their Carnegie Hall program. Their performance far exceeded anything I could have ever imagined.”

Rodgers, assistant professor of choral music, conducts the Ladies of Lee and Choral Union, teaches choral conducting and literature classes, oversees the choral conducting curriculum, and supervises choral conductors in the graduate program. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Rodgers earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he studied with Gregory Fuller and John Flanery.

Rodgers has been a guest speaker and presenter at various conferences and regularly contributes to YouthCue Choirs’ online and print publications; he has an upcoming publication in the Choral Journal. He has been a guest conductor for various honor choirs and was recently selected to conduct a portion of Handel’s “Messiah” in a masterclass at the American Choral Directors Association’s National Convention.

In addition to conducting and scholarly activities, Rodgers is an active pianist, church musician, and arranger. His arrangements have been published with Walton Music, Pavane, and Colla Voce, performed by high schools, colleges, and churches across the United States, and featured on recordings by the Brigham Young University Women’s Chorus, The Southern Chorale, the Lee University Chorale, and the Ladies of Lee.

The Gotham SINGS! Ensemble Showcase is designed to present outstanding bands, choirs, orchestras, and music programs in world-class venues throughout New York City. It is sponsored by Sechrist Travel, LLC.

Since 1891, Carnegie Hall has been the place where distinctive artists of all genres have come to make their names in New York City. This tradition of excellence has made Carnegie Hall an essential part of the city’s cultural fabric and the world’s most famous concert hall. Carnegie Hall’s mission is to present extraordinary music and musicians on the three stages of this legendary hall, to bring the transformative power of music to the widest possible audience, to provide visionary education programs, and to foster the future of music through the cultivation of new works, artists and audiences.