UNIVERSITY PARK — The Nittany Knights, the all-male barbershop chorus of State College, will be hosting their annual show A Knight to Remember on May 16 at 7 p.m. in Recital Hall on the campus of Penn State University.
Recital Hall will be a new venue for the chorus, which will be joined by the award-winning barbershop quartet Secret Best Friends and local high school and middle school students.
“I am extremely grateful to Penn State for allowing us this opportunity to perform at their beautiful Recital Hall. The acoustics are amazing! The audience will feel a part of the show in this intimate setting.” stated Trish Andriaccio, the first female director of the chorus.
A Knight to Remember will have barbershop singing from five different groups and according to Andriaccio, “barbershop music is rooted in American musical traditions of the late 19th and 20th centuries, often associated with social gatherings. We have chosen pieces from many American genres such as Broadway, Spirituals, Pop Culture, and Patriotic. “
When asked what his favorite song of the night will be, Mike Andriacio, husband of Trish and president of the Nittany Knights stated, “Dear Hearts and Gentle People because it is so classically barbershop. (and a great bass line!)”
Mike Andriacio sings bass with the group.
The Nittany Knights will also be sharing the stage with the award-winning barbershop quartet Secret Best Friends. Secret Best Friends is celebrated for their modern barbershop harmony and vocal jazz, performing both familiar favorites and lesser-known jazz standards. Their music is characterized by playful, lighthearted performances that maintain artistic integrity while exploring the intersection of barbershop and jazz. They often arrange songs in a way that highlights the strengths of both styles without prioritizing one over the other.
The Nittany Knights will also have one of its quartets performing — the group known as A Knight at the Opera will be performing two songs.
Also on stage will be members of the Sylvan Singers from Park Forest Middle School, the Clef Hangers from Mount Nittany Middle School and a State College High School Mixed Chorus. Each school chorus will perform two songs and then join the Nittany Knights and Secret Best Friends for a grand finale singing of America the Beautiful.
Tickets for the show are currently on sale online at www.nittanyknights.org for $20 for students and $30 for adults. To save $4 per ticket in fees, attendees can purchase tickets by phone or in person at Eisenhower Auditorium, 367 Shortlidge Road, University Park or call 814-863‑0255.
Tickets will be available on the night of the performance at Recital Hall.
