校友聚焦：克里斯汀·费思·奥伊，'97

Kristen_alumnae

Last week, the SF Girls Chorus traveled to my new hometown, New York City, to take the stage at Lincoln Center in a performance for the New York Philharmonic’s Biennial Festival. This opportunity was only offered to one non-New York based company – and it doesn’t surprise me that this was the SF Girls Chorus. This honor is a testament to how respected, valued, and recognized the Chorus has become through its dedication to artistic excellence. Hearing the Chorus reminded me of how grateful I am to have grown up as a chorister. Today, I am fortunate to have a career in which I perform on Broadway, the culmination of my lifelong endeavors. As I take the stage on Broadway in The King and I, I think back to when I joined the Chorus as a shy 6-year-old. The training I received at SF Girls Chorus enabled me to perform in Fame – The Musical, Elton John’s Aida,West Side Story, We Will Rock You, Wicked, and Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark.

All of my chorus experiences led to my being in the entertainment industry, performing and living in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and now, New York.

The skills I learned through the Chorus are responsible for my success as a performing artist. Through the professional training I received and the friendships I formed, I increased my musicianship and artistry as a performer, learning how to be flexible and how to think fast according to the demands of a performance. As the dance captain in Wicked, I applied my leadership skills as I was responsible for the appearance of the show as well as for maintaining the quality of each performance. Most of all, being in the Chorus opened my heart through music and gave me joy to be in a community which shared a like-minded passion.

All that the Chorus does is made possible with contributions from all of us – from you. Please join me in making a generous gift now to the SF Girls Chorus for the spring annual fund. This will help ensure that the Chorus continues to make this amazing opportunity available to future generations of girls, and to future Broadway stars!

With sincere thanks,

Kristen Faith Oei, ‘97