Shreve hits all the right notes on her way to Carnegie Hall

One of Holmes County’s own is singing with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, and that experience is leading to a lifelong dream come true.

Toni Arnold Shreve checked off a lifelong bucket list item recently when she joined the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, an endeavor that allowed her to sing some of the all-time classic pieces alongside some of the most gifted singers anywhere.

Shreve had to audition for the choir role, and her talent took her right into the heart of the choir, earning her a highly sought spot on this year’s COC tour.

Doing so put Shreve center stage with both the chorus and orchestra at Severance Hall in Cleveland, performing classics from Franz, Beethoven, "The Messiah" during November and the December Holiday Concert.

It also put her in a place she has visited but long wanted to see herself performing on stage, that being at Carnegie Hall in New York City, where the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus will perform Jan. 20 before the tour whisks off to Florida, where she will bow out due to other conflicts.

But being able to sing on stage at Carnegie Hall has long been something Shreve has dreamed about. It is about to become a reality.

“Being able to perform in Severance Hall is almost a religious experience in and of itself,” Shreve said. “Performing at Carnegie Hall might just be an out-of-body experience for me.”

For someone who has invested most of her life to music, this opportunity is special for Shreve, who currently works as the collaborative pianist and vocal coach at The College of Wooster.

In between she has found time to sing and perform in a variety of ways within and around the Holmes County area including at St. John’s Evangelic Church near Millersburg, where she attends church.

For Shreve, music has been in her life from nearly the beginning.

“My mom said I could sing before I talked,” Shreve said. “My grandma had me singing in church when I was 3 years old. My brother says that for me, singing is like breathing, so I feel blessed with every opportunity to play music and sing.”

However, this one is special because of the significance of Carnegie Hall and the opportunity to sing alongside so many gifted performers in both the chorus and orchestra.

To do so, Shreve had to audition in front of a panel.

Simply getting a tryout was difficult enough, but Shreve had one advantage: Dr. Lisa Wong, with whom Shreve works with at COW and whom serves as both the head of choral studies at COW and as the director of choruses for the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus.

Wong may have gotten Shreve the proverbial “foot in the door,” but Shreve’s musical gift had to carry her to the finish line, and she came through, impressing the panel to earn her spot in the chorus.

“Lisa is amazing, truly a force in the music world,” Shreve said, noting Wong retired at COW last spring and is now committed to serving in her role with the COC.

Once she was accepted to the chorus, Shreve found herself making the trek to practices at Severance Hall on a regular basis this year, singing as part of the 130-voice chorus that accompanies the orchestra.

She said it is an exceptionally talented group of vocalists; the chorus is filled with longtime veterans and even newcomers, a quartet of those coming from COW.

Shreve said under the direction of Wong, the chorus springs to life in a dazzling way.

“Lisa is so amazing at getting the best out of all of us while getting exactly what she wants out of each piece,” Shreve said.

As for the talent around her, Shreve said, “I get to sing with like-minded people who are so gifted and talented, people who are incredibly invested in creating this glorious music. It’s obvious it takes precedence for every one of them.”

The newest performance that will take wing at Severance Hall Jan. 15, 16 and 18 and then make its way to Carnegie Hall is "Verdi’s Requiem," a nod to renowned Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi.

After the COC received some well-deserved time off for Christmas, its talent got back to rehearsing Jan. 4 as a chorus and will be joined the following week by the orchestra.

Shreve said it is hard work, a demanding schedule that takes commitment from one and all, but the product is well worth the effort.

“I love it so much,” Shreve said. “I have performed solo at times throughout the years, but I absolutely love being part of a chorus. After all, collaborative is in my title.”

As Jan. 20 draws nearer, Shreve said she is already anticipating something incredible from the experience, adding seeing Carnegie Hall from the stage is something she’s dreamed of for a long time. Perhaps not since her days as a 3-year-old singing at church, but for someone whose life has been a commitment to creating music, it’s something that will be well worth the wait.