Western Illinois University Choirs

10/31/2024

Ready for the annual Holiday Festival of Choirs!?

Ticket sales will go live starting Friday, Nov. 1! This event usually sells out, so be sure to get your tickets early. We will only be able to have two performances this year, both on Saturday, December 7 due to finals the following week.

You can purchase your tickets at westernpresents.com or the Hainline box office.

For more information, visit:

https://www.wiu.edu/cofac/choirs/festivals_workshops/hfc.php

10/23/2024

The WIU Choirs program continues to be busy as we head into recruiting and touring season!

Along with successful fall choral concert with alumni, Dr. Hawkins and Dr. Winnie worked with choirs at Monmouth-Roseville, Lake Park, and Lake Forest High Schools over the last two weeks.

There are wonderful students and great teaching happening at each of the schools!

10/11/2024

We go live in less than 45 minutes! See you at 7:30 in COFAC or online for the fall choral concert!

https://youtube.com/?feature=shared

10/08/2024

We are so thrilled to say that registration is now live for the Estill for Ensembles one-day workshop ahead of the World Symposium next year. I hope you can join us for this exciting endeavor that has finally come to fruition!

Learn about the limitless possibilities of your voice by attending Estill Voice Training® Hybrid Level 1 & 2 at PennWest California and online, June 11-14, 2024.

10/07/2024

Don’t miss our annual Fall Choral Concert this Friday, October 11 at 7:30 PM in the COFAC Recital Hall! Livestream also available: https://youtube.com/?feature=shared

https://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php?release_id=20220

MACOMB, IL - The Western Illinois University School of Music will present a Fall Choir Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, in the College of Fine Arts and ...

09/28/2024

We hosted two amazing high schools on campus this weekend as they engaged in their annual choir retreat activities. Plainfield East High School and North Scott High School from Iowa under the incredible teaching of Ali Kordelewski and Lori Potts (a WIU alum) respectively.

Each choir performed for one another, University Singers and Chamber Singers performed for them, and we all collaborated on a combined sing at the end of the day. It was a joy to see our students teaching the many potential future leathernecks on stage!

Both Dr. Hawkins and Dr. Winnie also worked with the Plainfield East choir in sessions on Friday and Saturday. 🔥

Thanks to all for a stellar end to the week!

09/27/2024

Another busy week for the WIU Choirs, which kicked off with the annual, 3-day University Singers Estill Choral Retreat this past weekend. As always, it was an incredible shared experience of applying anatomy, physiology, and acoustic principles to our repertoire. Voice Geeks unite!

Next up: multiple choirs on campus this weekend for choral exchanges!

09/21/2024

It’s been a busy week at WIU! Thanks to all the District 4 choral teachers who brought their students to our annual District/All-State Prep Workshop. Additional thanks to our terrific graduate students Kaylin Vos, Sague Molina, Tyler Demaree, and Kazin Cole who helped lead sectionals. They were on fire!🔥 And finally, thanks to the University Singers who performed for us all, and Dr. Po-Chuan Chiang for collaborating with us on piano for the afternoon.

Best of luck D4 singers as you prepare your auditions!

09/03/2024

Have you RSVP'd yet for the ALUMNI HOMECOMING Concert on October 11?! University Singers alumni will perform "Hear My Prayer" by Moses Hogan from seven years ago and all singers will combine with alumni to perform "I'll Be On My Way" by Shawn Kirchner and “Western Loyalty.”

ANNOUNCING THE ALUMNI CHOIR 2024!
We hope you can join us on our fall Homecoming Choral concert, October 11, 2024 at 7:30PM in COFAC Recital Hall. All choral alumni are welcome. Please share this on your social media!
Please rsvp here:

Information on the Homecoming Alumni Choir, October 11, 2024, can be found at http://www.wiu.edu/cofac/choirs/festivals_workshops/alumnichoir.php

09/01/2024

Congratulations to Dr. Winnie and for representing WIU in Oregon. He will guest conduct the All-State Middle School Tenor Bass choir and present a session to the conference attendees on “Teaching Expressive Performance Skills in the Choral Rehearsal.”

08/15/2024

Come join a choir this fall!! Tell your former students we have an ensemble for everyone.

08/14/2024

🎉🎉 Congratulations to our newest WIU EFP in Estill Voice Training, Kaylin Vos!!! We are so proud of your hard work in achieving this rigorous Estill Figure Proficiency certification! Go WIU and the terrific grad choral conducting program!

08/01/2024

Coming to WIU this fall?! We have a choir for you! Come be a part of our vibrant choral program! Learn more about our choirs and upcoming auditions here:

https://www.wiu.edu/cofac/choirs/

07/12/2024

🎉 ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

We are proud of MM Choral Conducting alum, Ehan Hartung, on his acceptance to present at Missouri Choral Directors Association summer conference next week. Congratulations and go Leathernecks!

07/10/2024

Calling all WIU alums! Dr. Brian J. Winnie will be the high school all-state chorus director next year. Let’s get as many students involved in auditions as we can this year! And don’t forget our all-state prep session this fall at Western on Sept. 19.

07/04/2024

We could not be more proud of all that WIU Singers accomplished last year and the many years previously. Here is a snippet from their MWACDA performance last Feb.

Western Illinois University Singers at MWACDA 2024 - Dr. Brian J. Winnie, conductor, Dr. Po-Chuan Chiang, piano

07/04/2024

WIU Singers had so many meaningful learning experiences last year, but this piece continued to teach us all year. Here is another snippet from MWACDA last Feb.

Western Illinois University Singers at MWACDA 2024 - Dr. Brian J. Winnie, conductor, Dr. Po-Chuan Chiang, piano

07/03/2024

withonevoice is a non-profit, professional vocal ensemble of sixteen artists giving performances that feature diverse vocal styles!

06/06/2024

Have you made your summer professional development plans?! Come join us for some fun-filled voice work with a choral focus in Batavia or Salem this summer!

Estill Voice Training Workshops We organize Estill Hybrid Level 1 and Level 2 Training Courses and Introductory Choral Pedgogy Workshops for singers, educators, vocal ensembles, and other voice users each year with folks from all over the world. Come join us members of our withonevoice family at

05/28/2024

Join us July 18 & 19!

05/14/2024

SAVE THE DATE by reserving your tickets today! Join us for our second FREE season! withonevoice features many WIU faculty, students, staff, and alumni. See us in Macomb or in Chicago this July 18 and 19. Tickets can be reserved at: https://www.wovoice.org/concerts/tickets

withonevoice is a non-profit, professional vocal ensemble of sixteen artists giving performances that feature diverse vocal styles!

05/05/2024

Teachers and alum, consider joining us this summer!

Come learn more about your voice this summer.       Want to grow as a singer or teacher? We organize Estill Hybrid Level 1 and Level 2 Voice Training Courses and Introductory Workshops for singers, ed

05/04/2024

CONGRATULATIONS to DISTINGUISHED CHORAL ALUM, Dr. Brandon Williams on this well-deserved appointment as Director of Choral Activities at Rutgers University. We are proud of all he has accomplished so far in his career!

We are pleased to announce that Music at Mason Gross-Rutgers faculty member Brandon Williams has been named the director of choral activities. 🎼🌟 Williams, who joined the school in fall 2016, directs the Rutgers University Kirkpatrick Choir, Rutgers University Voorhees Choir, and Rutgers University Glee Club. A frequent international guest conductor, clinician, and presenter, he has received the 2020–21 Rutgers Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Innovations, the Mason Gross Inclusive Community Faculty Award, and the 2021–22 Rutgers Presidential Fellowship for Teaching Excellence Award.

📷: Lynne DeLade

05/01/2024

INTRODUCING our Fall 2024 Graduate Choral Conducting Cohort who help lead the Choral program.

Tyler Demaree will begin his Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Western Illinois University as a graduate assistant in the Fall of 2024, and is currently an adjunct voice faculty member at Knox College in Galesburg, IL, where he directs two non-auditioned choirs and teaches solo voice. Prior to pursuing his graduate degree and work at Knox College, Tyler was the director of choirs at Galesburg High School where he taught choir, piano, guitar, and music theory. He attained his Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree from Western Illinois University. As a professional choral singer, Tyler is an inaugural and current member of the Chicago-based professional vocal ensemble, withonevoice.

Tyler has attained his Estill Figure Proficiency in Estill Voice Training and is working toward Estill Master Trainer certification. In addition to his ensemble teaching, Tyler has music directed various musical productions including “Big Fish,” “Working,” “SpongeBob the Musical," and “Rock of Ages” at the high school and collegiate levels.