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Choir - Internationally Acclaimed

category: Music Department, 

 

Western Oregon University offers choral opportunities for students who wish to pursue a career in music, or those who simply want to release joyful noises between classes in another major.

The 75-person Concert Choir is led by one of the most renowned music conductors in the world, Solveig Holmquist. In addition to leading the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, Dr. Holquist teaches music conducting. The group performs quarterly. Their biggest event, Vespers, occurs every December for a packed house in the 500-seat Rice Auditorium. Many of the concerts feature a larger work with orchestra, with repertoire ranging from Handel's Messiah to Orff's Carmina Burana.


Those who wish to participate in Chamber Singers must audition for one of the 32 positions. This group performs frequently both on and off campus, and every other year they travel to locations such as China or New York to perform in such prestigious venues as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. The group organizes fundraising events so that the singers pay little or no travel cost for these exciting trips. The Chamber Singers participate in many special projects, which recently included making a recording for the TV show LOST.


Members of Concert Choir and Chamber Singers contribute to the annual choral festival. Every fall, high school choir teachers from across Oregon bring their groups to be adjudicated by Western's own Dr. Solveig Homquist, Dr. Kevin Helppie, and guest choral critics. The high school students enjoy watching performances by the Chamber Singers, and participate in an inter-choral performance.


Both Concert Choir and Chamber Singers are lead by the gracious Dr. Solveig Holmquist, who recently spent a quarter teaching choir and conducting at four universities in China. Choir participants appreciate Dr. Holmquist's dedication to her students, and singers and audiences alike love the quality of sound she continues to bring out of her ensembles.


Students who prefer a jazzier style can sing with the jazz choir Soulstice. Blah blah blah. Lead by accomplished grad student Sherry Alves.


Western also boasts a student-lead men's a capella chorus. This twelve-member group performs arrangements of popular songs both at choir concerts with Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, and at events around campus like ceremonial assemblies and activity nights at Werner University Center. Men must audition to join the WOU a capella ensemble.


Because of Western's strong emphasis on composition and contemporary music, all four of these choirs are privileged to frequently perform new works written or arranged for them by Western music students and faculty.


Students interested in pursuing a career in choral direction or singing may take choral conducting, choral methods, and choral literature classes.


The strong leadership of Dr. Holmquist and the avid participation of music students have built a strong choral program at Western Oregon University.


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