GEISMAR — New York City's Carnegie Hall has hosted The Beatles, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland and hundreds of other musicians since it opened in 1891. Later this month, Dutchtown High School's choir joins this prestigious group when they perform at the most esteemed concert hall in the nation.

The New York City concert hall will host 10 of Dutchtown's choir students on March 24 at Manhattan Concert Productions' Festival Performance: Octavo Series. The group leaves for Manhattan on March 22.

Dutchtown's choir will be one of several groups from across the country at the event, which Director Janine Carlin said is invite only and "extended to choirs that demonstrate exemplary programs and performances."

"(I want) my students to take pride in what they do because what they do is important. What we do in this choir room is important; the arts in general are important," Carlin said.

She added that being able to perform in "such a prestigious auditorium" is an incredible honor that she hopes her students will look back on with pride for the rest of their lives.

"I think that's a very big deal for them," Carlin said, adding that she has performed in the venue before but not while leading the Dutchtown choir.

Dutchtown students previously graced the stage at Carnegie when the school's Wind Ensemble band performed at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory International Festival in 2018. Last year, another capital region group — University Lab High School's choir — took the stage in New York and participated in the National Youth Honors Choir.