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 The
University of South Florida has entered a new era of choral and vocal
music. Every year, there are more exciting performance singing
opportunities: five choral ensembles; summer tours to Europe; opera
productions; voice recitals; performances with the Florida Orchestra;
workshops with leading choral conductors (Dale Warland); and a
collaboration with the USF Theatre Department has resulted in the School
musicals (Rocky Horror Show
& HAIR). With
the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria at the Esterhazy
Palace and In Terra Pax located on the Baltic Sea in Miedzyzdroje,
Poland students have the opportunity to visit other countries and
perform with artists from all over the world.
For
such a young institution, the University of South Florida enjoys a
remarkably proud history in choral music and choral music education. The
American Choral Directors Association was founded under the leadership
of the first Director of Choral Activities at USF, Wayne Hugoboom. USF
choirs have collaborated with some of the premier choral masters of our
time, including Robert Shaw, Dale Warland, Sir David Willcocks, Paul Salamunovich,
Ward Swingle, and Alice Parker. Additionally, USF choirs have worked
with living composers such as Norman Dello Joio, Stephen Paulus, Libby
Larsen, and Eleanor Daley among others. The USF Chamber Singers, our
flagship choral organization, routinely collaborates with The Florida
Orchestra and The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay to present the most
important choral/orchestral music of the repertoire, including
Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Verdi's
Requiem, Bach's Mass in B Minor, Handel's
Messiah among other important monuments of the choral art. USF
choirs have toured the state, the nation, and the world.
Throughout each school
year, hundreds of USF students participate in our School of Music
choral and vocal ensembles. SINGING is a great way to get involved
in campus life, is less time consuming and expensive than in high
school, and is very rewarding musically. Membership in all USF
choral groups is open to all students, both music majors and
non-music majors Auditions for the choirs are held at the
beginning of each semester during the first three days of school.
USF
choral music students have been acknowledged for their
excellence in a number of important ways. Two students (James Bass,
1996, and Stephanie Santoro, 1998) were named the Outstanding Graduating
Senior for all of USF (a very important recognition at the nation's 13th
largest university.) Seven students have been national finalists
or semi-finalists in the
American Choral Directors Association Conducting Competition. Daniel
Petrie and Kristy Cawthon both advanced to the finals in the 2003
competition in New York City. Carrie Kirby was the
undergraduate winner of the 2001 competition. Other semi-finalists
include undergraduates James Bass (1995), Jennifer Regal
(1999 and 2001), and graduate student, Jeremy Silverman, a finalist in
the 2001 graduate competition.
 Choral studies at USF are led by internationally recognized
faculty:
Dr. Richard Zielinski,
Director of Choral Activities and
Dr. Robert Summer,
Coordinator of Graduate Choral Studies. Substantial
financial assistance through scholarship and graduate assistantships is
available for deserving students. Please contact the USF School of Music
to receive additional information about our choral programs, as well as
scholarship dates and requirements. The University of South Florida
wants to be your "University of First Choice" for studies in choral
music.
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