Forty-five members of Bexley High School's vocal ensemble have been invited to sing at Carnegie Hall.

The students will be among 275 singers performing in concert April 17. The choirs were invited by Hilary Apfelstadt, director of choral activities at Ohio State University. She will conduct the performance by the combined choir, which will perform under the name Distinguished Concerts Singers International.

Bexley choir director Amy Blooser said the vocal ensemble students go on tour every year, but singing in a historic venue like Carnegie Hall is an honor. The Bexley students also will get to perform with students from around the country.

"Bexley is such a small city, for them to sing with a 200-voice choir is such a different experience than what (the students) normally would get," she said.

Senior David Hahn said the music being performed at Carnegie Hall will be challenging and different from the music the students usually perform. He is excited about the opportunity to visit New York City and sing there.

"My freshman year I saw this choir perform and knew I wanted to be part of it," he said.

Senior Martin Raabe said the April performance will require extra rehearsal time and some fundraising, as the trip is expected to cost about $1,300 per student. He said it was an honor to be asked to sing at Carnegie Hall.

"It is the most storied concert hall in America," he said.

Senior Abi Martin has been singing since she was little. She said vocal ensemble provides an opportunity to perform classical pieces not normally performed by other choirs.

"It is amazing," she said of the upcoming trip. "I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to sing in such a prestigious place."

Junior Nick Spaeth-Cook said he was excited about being asked to perform at Carnegie Hall. "We are taking this seriously," he said. "We have to step up rehearsals."

Junior Lauren Pierce has been singing since the eighth grade. She has an older sister who also was in vocal ensemble and wanted to follow in her footsteps.

The Bexley students will be joined by students from Hilliard Bradley and Dublin Jerome high schools, OSU chorale and choirs from Virginia and West Virginia.

Apfelstadt will lead the choirs at a rehearsal at OSU, as well as nine to 10 hours of rehearsals in New York City prior to the concert in the Carnegie's Isaac Stem Auditorium.

The combined choirs will sing Johannes Brahms' "Nanie" and Amy Beach's "Festival Jubilate." An orchestra of about 60 professional New York musicians will accompany the choirs. Blosser said the pieces were meant to be performed with a large choir.

"These are pieces that are not often performed," she said.

In addition, eight members of the vocal ensemble have been invited to participate in the American Choral Directors' Association Central Division High School Honor Choir in February. Students performing are Ariel Burris, Graham Horn, Lily Lewis, Meredith Margulies, Rachel Marschner, Joan Spicer, Hahn and Raabe.