University Treble Chorus named National Finalist for the 2023 American Prize in Choral Performance
Achieving a home-run right out of the gate after returning from a nearly nation-wide choral music lock-down because of the risk of spreading COVID-19 while singing, the University Treble Chorus at the Butler School of Music has been named a National Finalist for the 2023 American Prize in Choral Performance. The University Treble Chorus is comprised of students studying various disciplines from all over the University of Texas at Austin, they are conducted by one of the Texas Choirs DMA students, Cody Parrott, and the ensemble is overseen by faculty member, Dr. Suzanne Pence.
The American Prize in Choral Performance is the nations most comprehensive series of contests in the classical performing arts. The American Prize™ is an established non-profit company, unique in scope, that seeks to recognize and reward the best performances by choruses, bands, orchestras, singers, composers, and conductors from all over the United States. This contest is based on recorded submissions and evaluated by David Katz, chief judge as well as a team of experts in each category of performance. Winners of the College – Smaller Program Division for the 2023 American Prize in Choral Performance will be selected from the list of finalists sometime during the Summer of 2023.
Learn more about the 2023 American Prize in Choral Performance Finalists
DMA Student in Butler School of Music Choral Area wins First Prize in National ACDA Composer Competition
DMA Student, Choongwoo “Steve” Ko placed first in the American Choral Directors Association Composition ‘Focus Prize’ Competition for his score “A Thousand Winds” arranged for Tenor & Bass Chorus and premiered by the University Tenor-Bass Chorus in the Fall of 2022. Ko’s compositions are largely inspired by his bi-culturalism as a Korean-American. “A Thousand Winds” is scored for Tenor-Bass Chorus, Piano, and optional Rainstick and incorporates portions of the text written by Mary Elizabeth Frye, “Do not stand at my grave.”
The ACDA Composition Focus Prize is a new initiative structured to meet identified gaps in repertoire needs of ACDA members and their ensembles. The specific type of repertoire in the call varies from year to year; this inaugural call was for compositions Treble Choirs and Tenor/Bass Choirs. The 2023 contest drew hundreds of applicants from the United States and abroad and was evaluated by a panel of six experts in each category. This initiative was supported by choral music publishers Afred Music, Beckenhorst Press, ECS Publishing House, Fred Bock Publishing, and Walton/GIA Publishers.
Learn more about the ACDA Composition Focus Prize