Jax State Singers Perform at Carnegie Hall

07/28/2026

By Brett Buckner

When 19 singers from Jacksonville State University’s A Cappella Choir and Civic Chorale recently gathered on the storied stage of Carnegie Hall, they brought with them the shared belief that music, when sung together, can bridge generations.

The ensemble performed as part of MidAmerica Productions’ 43rd anniversary concert season, joining the New England Symphonic Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Eliezer Yanson, Jax State professor of music and director of choral activities.

For Yanson, who first conducted with MidAmerica Productions in 2018, the return to Carnegie Hall was an honor and a testament to the strength of Jax State’s choral community.

“The singers get to sing with a respected guest conductor, a superb orchestra, and perform in a historic venue considered one of the finest concert halls in the world,” he said. “Such a special opportunity.”

Alexa Lusk, a 23-year-old music education major from Bay Minette who graduated this spring, didn’t grow up in choir, but she’s spent her years at Jax State making up for lost time. She said studying under Yanson became central to that journey.

“Singing in Dr. Eliezer Yanson’s choirs is truly an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed,” she said. “I jumped at the chance to sing with his group in Carnegie Hall because I’ve never been to Carnegie Hall or New York, and I wanted to gain as many valuable experiences as I could before leaving college.”

Standing on the famed stage was transformative.

“It was so surreal,” Lusk said. “It’s such an incredible opportunity to know how many famous choirs and artists have stood on the same stage, and to stand there and do what I love most in front of an audience that loves it too.”

For Lusk, it was the people she met who made the experience truly special.

“I will always cherish the experience of meeting so many fellow musicians who appreciate the value of music and fellowship,” she said. “I made lifelong connections that I never would have made otherwise.”

The performance inspired Lusk to hope to bring her own choir to New York City someday.

“There is a humility that comes with these kinds of opportunities,” she said. “Now I just hope to give others the same opportunity.”

The Calhoun County Civic Chorale is a blend of students, alumni, educators and community members, what longtime member Bonnie Jones calls a “second family.” For Civic Chorale members, the Carnegie Hall performance was a reunion with the music that shaped their lives.

Jones sang with Jax State’s A Cappella Choir in the 1980s and rejoined the Civic Chorale after moving back to Jacksonville, an association made all the better because of its leader, Dr. Yanson.

“He wastes zero time during rehearsal,” Jones said. “He is one of the most kind instructors I think I have ever had. I call him Maestro. He is a genius.”

Jones was one of four Civic Chorale members who made the trip to New York.

“We didn’t have any rehearsal on this music as far as a group,” she said. “So, it was quite a challenge to learn it all. I took it as a personal challenge to see, ‘Can I do this?’”

Jones organized sectional rehearsals at her home with alumni — or “the old crowd,” as she called them — meeting for three weeks before leaving for New York City.

Nancy Byars was a member of Jax State’s Marching Southerners and sang in the A Cappella Choir in the mid-1980s, experiences she credits with helping her become an adult.

“The Marching Southerners and A Cappella Choir made Jacksonville home,” she said. “It provided me friends and relationships I will always hold dear.”

Jax State Singers She joined the Civic Chorale in 2024 after seeing a post from Jones.

“My hope was that it could bring me back home,” she said. “Did it? Yes, and beyond my expectations.”

Though Byars is “not a ‘busy city girl,’” and therefore had no desire to visit New York City, Carnegie Hall was irresistible.

“The opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall?” she said. “Yes!”

Though the schedule allowed little time for full rehearsals, Byars said the group was as prepared as it could be.

“We wanted to represent Jax State and Dr. Yanson in the best way possible,” she said. “We did that to the best of our ability.”

It was a moment Byars will never forget.

“I was moved, struck to my core,” she said. “It was a complete mix of pride and humility. Overwhelming.”

For Shealee Griffith, a 19-year-old soprano and piano performance major from Talladega, Carnegie Hall was the realization of a dream she’d carried since middle school.

“Magical,” she said. “It was just this massive room full of people who truly appreciate all of the beauty music offers.”

Initially unsure if she could afford the trip, Griffith found herself in New York City surrounded by fellow musicians, many of whom were also making their first trip to the city.

“Being surrounded by people who love music is a rare thing,” she said. “And the more you truly connect with each other, the more beautiful you sound together.”

With only nine hours of rehearsal, Griffith worried about the final product. But listening back changed everything.

“It put into perspective just how much any choir can do if they put their mind to it,” she said. “It really encouraged me to continue pushing myself for greatness.”

Also among the ensemble was Maleah Hallmark, a 24-year-old junior majoring in vocal music education from Kimberly, Alabama.

“This trip was definitely a huge financial commitment for me as a student,” she said. “That being said, opportunities like this don't come around that often. Getting to perform at one of the world's most well-known concert halls was something I knew I wouldn't regret spending my money on.”

The trip was an investment in her future.

“I also saw this as a great experience for my education and growth as a musician. Opportunities like this have allowed me to learn so many things that I may never learn in a classroom.”

Having been a musician her entire life, Hallmark had grown up hearing about Carnegie Hall and all the talented artists who had performed there, never imagining she’d one day be among them.

“It was surreal,” she said. “It was both humbling and inspiring. I didn't want to leave. It became a genuine reminder of why I love performing.”

But it was the moment right before the music began that made the most lasting impression.

“For a second, it was completely silent, and it hit me where I was and all we had accomplished in those few days,” she said. “It was one of those moments where you stop and think, ‘Wow. I'm really here right now. This is real.’”

Sharing that moment with fellow musicians made it even more meaningful, proving what hard work can accomplish.

“Performing at Carnegie Hall didn't make me feel like a rockstar, like I had made it,” she said, “but it did give me more confidence in my abilities and encouraged me to continue challenging myself. It is an experience that I will carry with me into all of my future performances. I hope it allows me to approach them with a little more confidence and a lot of gratitude.”