The Cornell University Chorale showcased its vocal talent on Sunday evening with its Fall 2025 Concert, “Passage of Dreams,” held in an approximately half-full Bailey Hall.
The event unfolded as a soundscape of imagination and cultural reflection, guided by Conductor Dr. Yen-Hsiang Nieh, guest conductor Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe — Nieh’s former teacher — and collaborative pianist Dr. Vera Hui-pin Hsu.
The concert marked a significant shift in venue for the Chorale, as it was their first performance outside of their regular venue, Sage Chapel.
Chorale President Pranav Shankar ’26 described the shift in venue as both technical and emotional, noting that while Sage Chapel offers a more “grounded” and intimate atmosphere, Bailey Hall allows the sound to travel and “carry” more expansively, creating a more airborne, resonant quality.
The move, he explained, reflected the ensemble’s growth and its increasing presence within the Cornell performing arts scene.
In addition to the main vocals, many pieces incorporated varied timbres through the use of string instruments, percussion and hand-clapping.
The program featured works ranging from traditional South African songs to Taiwanese folk-inspired pieces — a meaningful inclusion chosen by Nieh, who is from Taiwan — alongside contemporary choral selections and musical theater, all reflecting the concert’s central theme of “Dreams.”
Nieh shared that the program repertoire was curated to intentionally highlight diversity of sound and origin. “Every semester, I just try to put all different [kinds of songs] to show the diversity of the program,” Nieh said. “I choose from different countries and different languages.”
Nieh described the concert as particularly meaningful as he was able to collaborate with Scheibe, his former mentor at the University of Southern California. “It’s my first time bringing my teacher to my [current role here at Cornell] and working with him,” Nieh said.
The preparation process, Nieh added, took time. “We started to prepare this program at the beginning of this semester … it took about three months … meeting every Tuesday [for two hours].”
Audience members responded enthusiastically to both the musical range and the cultural breadth of the performances. Graduate student Dheepak Chandrasekaran, who attended to support a friend in the Chorale, said, “I think ‘A Million Dreams’ [from “The Greatest Showman”] was absolutely amazing. And then the South African song [‘Modimo’] was really nice.”
The multicultural emphasis stood out to Chandrasekaran. “They’re trying to include everyone,” he said. “There was also a song from Taiwan [‘Fa Shu Ha’] that was really awesome … I think catering to a larger audience like that is really great to see.”
Chandrasekaran added that he would “100 percent” come back to see the next Chorale concert.
Behind the scenes, Shankar highlighted the added preparation for guest conductor Scheibe. “We had an extra rehearsal … exclusively just with Dr. Scheibe, and we had that opportunity to learn from him that was really unique,” he said.
Shankar also noted the visible bond between Scheibe and Nieh, observing “some of the same mannerisms, from teacher to … student.”
The theme of “Passage of Dreams” for Shankar described the “etherealness … in the music … but also in the [sense that] you are dreaming. For something that’s bigger and better,” he said.
Reflecting on the evening as a whole, Nieh emphasized Chorale as a community, noting how it brings together staff, faculty, graduate students and undergraduates to sing as one ensemble.
“We [have] members from all different backgrounds. So I think we really built this community together,” he said, adding, “I welcome all Cornellians here so that everyone can join [Chorale].”
Rowan Wallin is a member of the Class of 2027 in the Nolan School of Hotel Administration within the SC Johnson College of Business. He is a senior writer for the news department and can be reached at rwallin@cornellsun.com.
