The Choral Studies Department in the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin has a long history of preparing the future choral conductors and singers of America. We offer several collegiate curricular ensembles all of which perform diverse repertoire from all time periods at an extremely high level. In addition to performances with the UT Choirs, students regularly participate in various other performances all over the Austin Metropolitan Area including Chorus Austin, Consipirare, Austin Opera, and the Butler Opera Center. Graduates of the Butler Choral Studies Department hold positions as conductors, teachers, singers, and managers of choirs all over the world. We encourage you to find a home in one of our fantastic choral ensembles!
Texas Concert Chorale
The University of Texas Concert Chorale is the flagship vocal ensemble of the Sarah & Ernest Butler School of Music. This choir is comprised of Butler School of Music students as well as many students in various academic disciplines and is joined by audition only. The ensemble’s focus is presenting collegiate choral music at the highest level and has presented concerts by invitation at the National Convention of the American Choral Director’s Association, Texas Music Educator’s Association Conventions, and on tour world wide. These students lead the Butler Choral Studies Program into the future performing repertoire from every time period as well as new music from all over the world. This choir has been conducted by pillars of the world-wide choral community such as: Morris Beachy, Craig Hella Johnson, and many more.
Director: Dr. J.D. Burnett, Director of Choral Activities
Course meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12pm to 1:50pm
Course Number: ENS109L (22560)
University Tenor/Bass Chorus
The University Tenor/Bass Chorus, formerly known as the UT Men’s Glee, is an ensemble made up of UT Students with tenor and bass voice ranges and has a long and rich history at the University of Texas dating back many decades. This choir performs literature that ranges from contemporary spirituals & barbershop-style harmonies, to music of the renaissance and romantic masters. Many of the Tenor/Bass singers in this ensembles are non-music majors who feel participation in a college choral ensemble is paramount to their success at UT. The choir focuses on skill building and musical literacy and always performs Fall and Spring Concerts as well as collaborating with the UT Grand Chorus and the Butler Symphony Orchestra for their choral masterwork in the Spring semester.
Director: Steve Cho, DMA Choral Conducting
Course meets Tuesday & Thursdays from 3:30pm – 4:50pm
Course Number: ENS101T (22410)
University Treble Chorus
The University Treble Chorus is an ensemble made up of treble voice ranges which come from diverse backgrounds including both Butler School of Music students as well as other majors ranging from engineering to law students. This choir presents music in concert which spans the entire range of repertoire available for treble voices ranging from American Spirituals and renaissance motets to Russian secular folk songs and South African part songs. The Treble Chorus attempts to empower the young future leaders of our world through meaningful collaboration and stellar music-making. The University Treble Chorus performs Fall and Spring Concerts as part of their course work, collaborates on a choral masterwork with the University Tenor/Bass Chorus and the University Orchestra, and performs as part of the UT Grand Chorus in collaboration with the Butler Symphony Orchestra for their choral masterwork in the Spring semester.
Director: Cody S. Parrott, DMA Choral Conducting
Course meets Tuesday & Thursdays from 3:30pm – 4:50pm
Course Number: ENS101S (22405)
Butler Lab Choir
The BSOM Lab Choir is comprised of Butler School of Music Choral Studies students who are seeking opportunities for conducting, teaching, and learning from other conductors in a guided master-class type setting led by the Director of Choral Activities and the Choral Studies Graduate Cohort.
Director: Dr. Suzanne Pence
Course meets Mondays from 2pm – 2:50pm
Butler Grand Chorus
The University of Texas Butler Grand Chorus consists of students from Concert Chorale, University Treble Chorus, University Tenor/Bass Chorus, Butler Opera Center, and UT Alumni. Grand Chorus collaborates with the Butler Symphony Orchestra each year on a choral masterwork typically in the Spring semester. Recent Grand Chorus performances have included: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, Mozart’s Requiem, and many more! These performances present the full forces of the Butler School of Music in wonderful collaboration led by conductor, Farkhad Khudyev.
