Free Concert Announced at The Cathedral

The University Singers, the University of Virginia's flagship choral ensemble, will be on tour this May 2019 appearing across the Northeastern U.S. and Canada. The ensemble will present a program of a cappella and accompanied works featuring Eriks Esenvalds' "Only in Sleep" on a text by Sara Teasdale, Chesnokov's "Spaseniye sodelal," Eric Whitacre's "Water Night" and "little man in a hurry" (co-commissioned by the group), music by Canadian composers, and traditional songs arranged by Stephen Paulus, Nathaniel Dett, and Moses Hogan. The Chamber Singers also appear, singing selections including Ben Folds' "The Luckiest." The Singers look forward to sharing their music - join us for a performance at one of this year's tour venues!

Led by UVA faculty conductor Michael Slon, the ensemble will perform in Staunton VA, Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Albany, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. The tour also includes a collaboration with the Vocalis Chamber Choir in Buffalo, an appearance at the Canadian Parliament, and a special Charlottesville concert as part of UVA Reunions. UVA alumni are especially encouraged to join us, and UVA Singers alumni in attendance at concerts will be able to join the Singers on stage for the traditional UVA songs.

The University Singers is the UVA's premier choral ensemble, and recently joined the Charlottesville Symphony on the steps of the Rotunda to perform at UVA's Bicentennial Launch Celebration, before an estimated crowd of 20,000. This past fall, the University Singers gave the regional premiere of Bernstein's Mass at the Paramount Theatre, the group's largest concert project to date. In recent years, the Singers have also performed for Les Misérables creators Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil during their UVA residencies, sung for the 2016 UVA Holiday video (which received more than 400,000 views on social media), and taken a two- week concert tour of England, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Austria. Recent repertoire has included Beethoven's Symphony no. 9, Bach's Mass in B minor and St. John Passion, Handel's Messiah, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, the Verdi Requiem, Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem and Mendelssohn's Elijah, as well as premieres of commissioned works by Stephen Paulus, Forrest Pierce, Judith Shatin, and Eric Whitacre. Founded in 1957, the Singers have been heard on recent U.S. tours in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Charleston, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Providence, Virginia Beach, and the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., as well as the campuses of other American universities for collaborative concerts. The group has also been heard on previous European tours in Italy, Belgium, Germany, Russia, and Switzerland. Other choral program highlights have included concerts and workshops with Bobby McFerrin and Meredith Monk, a performance for Hillary Clinton, a performance for the 2010 VMEA Conference, a 2012 workshop with members of the Tallis Scholars, a 2014 performance for Philip Glass, and frequent collaborations with the Charlottesville Symphony, including the popular Family Holiday Concerts.

Students in the University Singers come from UVA's six undergraduate schools, including Arts and Sciences, Education, and Engineering, as well as several of the University's graduate and professional schools. While approximately 25-30% are music majors, the ensemble is open to any student by audition, and is a for-credit curricular class. Together, members enjoy an esprit de corps that arises from the pursuit of musical excellence, and the camaraderie the singers develop offstage.