The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music’s University Singers ensemble has been selected as a semi-finalist in the college/university division of The American Prize in Choral Performance national non-profit competitions in the performing arts.
The American Prize will be announcing finalists in the division soon.
Founded in 2009, The American Prize is a series of new, non-profit national competitions in the performing arts providing cash awards, professional adjudication and regional, national and international recognition for the best recorded performances by ensembles and individuals each year in the U.S. at the professional, college/university, church, community and secondary school levels.
University Singers, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's premiere and historic flagship choral ensemble, presents the finest and most versatile choral singers in the entire University. While many of the choir's singers are music majors, students from throughout the University are encouraged to audition and participate. They are under the current direction of Dr. Peter A. Eklund.
This ensemble performs music from the thirteenth century through the present, including works written especially for it. University Singers has performed repeatedly for state conventions of the Nebraska Choral Directors Association and the Nebraska Music Educators Association, and at regional and national venues including the North Central Division Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, regional and national meetings of the Music Educators National Conference, and regional ACDA conventions. In 2001, 2008 and 2016, the choir performed in New York City’s Carnegie Hall.
It has performed with numerous orchestras and has worked under renowned composers, pedagogues, and conductors/artists/scholars/performers, including Dale Warland, René Clausen, Don V Moses, Lee Kjelsen, Joshua Rifkin, Jeremy Jackman, Weston Noble, Simon Carrington, Sir David Willcocks, William Hatcher, Malcolm Dalglish, Anton Armstrong, Ann Howard Jones, Phil Mattson, Bobby McFerrin, William Warfield, Mack Wilberg, Eph Ehly, André Thomas, the Swingle Singer, Doreen Rao, and the late Moses Hogan, Margaret Hillis, and Robert Shaw, to name just a few.
The choir has a rich list of distinguished alumni that have gone on to lead choirs and music departments at major universities and Schools of Music across the country over the last 130+ years (and at least two alums have gone on to be ACDA National Presidents).
For more information on The American Prize, visit http://theamericanprize.org.