Ensembles
The University of North Texas A Cappella Choir is led by Dr. Allen Hightower, director of choral studies. The 48-voice choir, selected by competitive auditions from the more than 1,500 music majors within the College of Music, is the premier ensemble in the UNT choral program comprised of seven choirs and a Collegium Musicum. Founded in 1938 by Wilfred Bain, the choir has enjoyed a rich performance history including a three-month tour of Europe under the sponsorship of the US Department of State in 1966. The choir gave refereed performances for the national conferences of the ACDA in 2013 (Dallas), 2005 (Los Angeles), and 1999 (Chicago), and for the National Collegiate Choral Organization national convention in 2008 (Cincinnati). The A Cappella Choir was the only American choir to be featured on the programs of the 2nd Daejeon (South Korea) International Choral Festival in 2012 and the 9th Annual Taipei International Choral Festival in 2009. The choir has made numerous appearances for TMEA and the ACDA Southwestern Division.
The UNT A Cappella Can be found on YouTube in numerous performances over the past few years.
Director
Conducting Associate:
Course Number:
MULB 1801
Meets:
Mon.-Fri.: 12:00–12:50 PM Choir Room (MU230)
The University Singers consist of between 40-55 singers and is conducted by Dr. Richard Sparks. This ensemble will explore a wide variety of repertoire from a cappella to works with instrumental ensemble or orchestra. The University Singers also combine annually with the UNT Grand Chorus to present extended works with orchestra. Recent performances include Haydn's Creation, Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, and the premiere of Jake Heggie's Ahab Symphony, which is avaiable on iTunes, CDBaby, and Amazon.
Director
Conducting Associate:
Course Number:
MULB 1816
Meets:
Mon.-Fri.: 12:00–12:50 PM Orchestra Room (MU 232)
Collegium Singers, conducted by Dr. Richard Sparks, is a chamber choir dedicated to period performance, usually in collaboration with UNT's Baroque Orchestra or other musicians from our fine and extensive early music program. The choir consists of members of the other student choirs, plus graduate students in voice or early music. The repertoire is extensive. In 2011, 2013, and 2015 the Collegium Singers, along with the Baroque Orchestra, were invited to perform at the Boston Early Music Festival, the premiere such festival in the world. In June 2012, 14 members of the Collegium Singers were invited to perform the Victoria Requiem at the Berkeley Early Music Festival--that performance, recorded live, can be found here.
Their performance from December of 2011 of the Vivaldi Gloria on YouTube has had more than 2,000,000 hits.
The choir also performed at the National Collegiate Choral Organization convention in Portland, OR in November 2015.
Director
Conducting Associate:
Course Number:
MUEN 4530/5530.002
Meets:
Mon./Wed.: 2:00–2:50 PM Voertman & Fri.: 1:00–2:50 PM Choir Room (MU230)
The Concert Choir is comprised of 64 voices—open to students in all majors, full auditions are held in August, the week prior to the beginning of the academic year. To fill second semester openings, a second round of auditions is normally held in December. In addition to performances for schools, professional conferences, the metroplex community, and the university, Concert Choir combines annually with the UNT Grand Chorus to present extended works with orchestra. Recent performances include Brahms' Requiem, Mozart's Coronation Mass, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Mahler's Second Symphony, Orff's Carmina Burana, Britten's War Requiem, Beethoven's Mass in C, and the world premier of Jake Heggie's Ahab Symphony.
Director
Conducting Associate:
Course Number:
MULB 1802
Meets:
Mon.–Thurs.: 2:00–2:50 PM Choir Room (MU230)
The University of North Texas Grand Chorus is comprised of over 160 singers drawn from the A Cappella Choir, University Singers, Concert Choir, and other interested individuals. The Grand Chorus has a distinguished history of performing under the leadership of many of the world's most highly respected orchestral conductors. The late Georg Solti called the UNT Grand Chorus one of America's best choirs. The Grand Chorus sings annually with the UNT Symphony Orchestra, UNT Chamber Orchestra, UNT Wind Symphony and/or regional symphonies. Over the past few seasons the choir has given performances of Rachmaninoff's All Night Vigil, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Mass in C Major, Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, Mozart's Coronation Mass and Requiem, Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Britten's War Requiem, Howells' The Hymn of Jesus, and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. In the spring of 2013, the Grand Chorus, Symphony Orchestra and tenor Richard Croft, gave the premier of Jake Heggie's Ahab Symphony. April 2003 saw the performance and commercial recording of Orff's Carmina Burana in a new complete edition for Wind Symphony, Choir and soloists. The compact disc is available from Klavier Records and the DVD is available from the UNT College of Music.
Director
Course Number:
MULB 5171-507
Meets:
Tues.: 6:00–8:00 PM Choir Room (MU230)
The University of North Texas Men's Chorus is open to tenors and basses interested in singing challenging music in a variety of styles. Men's Chorus personnel come from diverse backgrounds, including both music majors and non-music majors. An audition is not required for enrollment in Men's Chorus. Placement in appropriate sections will occur after individual voicing during the first week of classes.
Director
Course Number:
MULB 1815
Meets:
Mon.–Thurs.: 1:00–1:50 PM Choir Room (MU230)
The University of North Texas Women's Chorus consists of 80 voices and is open to sopranos and altos interested in singing challenging music in a variety of styles. Women's Chorus personnel come from diverse backgrounds, including both music majors and non-music majors. An audition is not required for enrollment in Women's Chorus. Placement in appropriate sections will occur after individual voicing during the first week of classes.
Director
Course Number:
MULB 1803
Meets:
Mon.–Thurs.: 1:00–1:50 PM Orchestra Room (MU232)