Glacier sophomore heading to Carnegie Hall

From her toddler days of singing “Take Me to the Ball Game” in home videos, to present day renditions of the Italian aria “Se Florindo è fedele,” 15-year-old Bria Anderson has made her way to Carnegie Hall.

The Glacier High School sophomore has been selected to perform with a concert choir in the 2017 High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall in February.

Anderson has received sheet music and conductor’s notes to memorize in preparation to rehearse then perform on the grandest stage she has ever graced.

“It gives me chills it’s so exciting,” Glacier choir teacher Sandee Sauer said, looking over at Anderson during an interview at the school on Jan. 12. “And she’s only a sophomore which I think is amazing.”

Sauer said Anderson is her first student to audition and be selected to perform for the High School Honors Performance Series.

Anderson is among 750 student musicians from the United States, Canada and other international countries chosen to perform in one of five honors ensembles.

Anderson learned about the Carnegie Hall opportunity from Sauer, who was sifting through a stack of mail and the information caught her eye.

“I thought it would be a super neat opportunity and I’ve always wanted to go to New York and performing there would be even cooler,” Anderson said. “I’ve got to try this.”

It was happenstance that the audition required singing from a songbook of Italian arias she had used to pick a piece to perform at state.

“I was like ‘yeah I can just sing my state piece,’” Anderson said.

She also filled out an application that included which groups she was involved in and why she thought she should be accepted.

“I’m really passionate about music and I love singing,” Anderson said. “Ever since I was little I’ve really been into music and musical theater and so I thought getting the chance to perform at Carnegie Hall would be a huge thing,” Anderson said.

Singing isn’t based on talent alone. Perfecting singing techniques takes dedication and years of training just as much as her game on the basketball court — her other passion. Anderson has taken five years of private voice lessons with Cathy Helder to do just that. The progress can be heard when looking at past recorded performances of musicals she’s participated in.

“I was Annie in ‘Annie’ at the Bigfork Children’s Theatre in fifth grade. I watch recordings of that now and I’m like, I should not have been trying to belt that note,” Anderson said with a chuckle.

While she will sing in alto 2 at Carnegie, she’s able to transition to “wherever she’s needed.”

“She has one of those voices you can put on any part and she would shine,” Sauer said.

Her starring roles in Bigfork Playhouse Children’s Theatre as Amaryllis in a 2011 performance of “Music Man” and Wendy in a 2014 performance of “Peter Pan,” both under the direction of Brach Thomson, she said has made her a better singer and shaped her interest in the performing arts.

When Anderson recalled her early introduction to musical theater her face lit up, her smile broadening.

“In second or third grade my mom took me to a performance at Bigfork Playhouse Children’s Theatre and my mom said, ‘Oh Bria it would be so cool if you tried out for one of those,’” she said. “The next show was ‘Willy Wonka,’ and I tried out for it. I got to be an oompa loompa.

“That’s where it all started.”

So it’s no surprise that Anderson can’t wait to see a Broadway show while in New York.

“I love musical theater, so I’m super excited,” Anderson said.

Anderson also performs in the Bigfork Children’s Theatre “invitation-only” ensemble “5 and Holding,” of which her brother is also a member.

Does it run in the family? Anderson thought about the question.

“My dad went to Concordia [College]-Morehead and sang in a choir there. He’s pretty musical. My siblings and I have all done musical theater and taken piano and voice and other musical stuff,” Anderson said.

Anderson is also a member of Glacier’s women’s and Breeze choirs. She is the daughter of Jonathan and Lora Anderson of Kalispell.

Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.