Choral Ensembles
UT choral ensembles offer a rich environment in which to create music, develop personal artistry, and participate in the power of voices joined in song. All students may be a part of this exciting experience by participating in one or more of the University’s choirs: Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Men’s Chorale, Women’s Chorale, Gospel Choir, or UT Singers. By singing in these choirs, students experience the rewards of performing a variety of great choral literature. They also benefit from this experience by meeting and developing lasting friendships with other students who have similar interests. All UT choirs are open to any UT student, regardless of major or previous choral experience and offers one hour of undergraduate or graduate credit. Participation in Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Men’s Chorale, or Women’s Chorale satisfies the Applied Arts and Humanities courses in Vol Core general education requirements for undergraduate students.
When you sing in choir at UT, you’ll find yourself performing music from across many centuries of tradition and experience. The energy generated by our choral ensembles makes UT a very exciting place to sing. Our ensembles perform regularly with orchestra in larger works. Our singers are introduced to various languages, and are exposed to music from other cultures and epochs. In short, choral music at UT echoes the rest of your experience here—new ideas, new approaches, and new understandings!
Choral Studies
For students interested in being choral conductors, the College of Music offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs that lead to this career goal. The graduate choral conducting program features a wealth of conducting experiences in a variety of choral settings and an academic preparation that leads to successful careers in choral music. The curriculum focuses on literature, style, rehearsal techniques, score reading, and problem solving for each level of choir, and is designed to provide the student a thorough knowledge of the choral repertoire. Graduates of the College of Music hold choral positions throughout the world in professional choral ensembles, public and private schools, churches, community choirs, and colleges and universities.
- Degree Programs Leading to Careers as a Choral Conductor
- Bachelor of Music, Concentration in Music Education
- Bachelor of Music, Concentration in Sacred Music
- Master of Music, Concentration in Choral Conducting
- Master of Music, Concentration in Music Education
Professor Angela L. Batey
Associate Dean for Access and Engagement; Director of Graduate Studies; Director of Choral Activities
Angela Batey is recognized as a prominent conductor, clinician, adjudicator and teacher whose wide variety of experience encompasses professional, university, high school, community and church choruses. Having recently served as Interim Director of the School of Music, Batey is currently Associate Director of the College of Music for Graduate Studies, Director of Choral Activities and James Cox Professor of Music. She conducts the Chamber Singers and teaches conducting courses at the graduate levels. Batey is also Director of Music at Farragut Presbyterian Church.
She is a Past-President of the Tennessee American Choral Directors Association and is currently serving on the Executive Board of Southern Division ACDA. Batey has been Associate Conductor of Schola Cantorum of Florida, a professional chorus and Associate Music Director of the Florida Ambassadors of Music, and Festival Director of the International Cathedral Music Festival.
Professor Laura Leigh Spillane
Interim Associate Director of Choral Activities
Laura Leigh Spillane is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in Choral Music at the University of Southern California, where her fields of study are Choral Music, Musicology, Instrumental Conducting, and Vocology. She serves on the faculty at Saddleback and Scripps Colleges in Southern California, directing the Saddleback Chamber Singers, Claremont Concert Choir, and Claremont Treble Choir. As Senior Teaching Assistant for the USC Thornton School of Music, she is the Associate Conductor of USC’s premier choral ensemble, the Chamber Singers. Previously, she served the Thornton School of Music as the Lead Conductor of the USC University Chorus and the soprano section leader of the USC Chamber Singers.
Professor Andrew Skoog
Area Coordinator of Voice, Director of Men’s Chorale
Andrew Skoog, tenor, made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall as tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra then returned as tenor soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana, with Andrew Litton and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. In addition, Skoog has also sung with the American Symphony Orchestra in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. In demand for orchestral engagements, Skoog made his international debut singing Carmina Burana with the Bergen Philharmonic in Bergen, Norway. Critics hail him as ideal in Carmina Burana because of his “full, lyric delivery in the demanding, high tessitura,” which has earned him thirty-eight performances of this work with such orchestras as the Minnesota Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Albany Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Baton Rouge Symphony, Bangor Symphony, Victoria Symphony, Midland Symphony and Valley Symphony Orchestras. Other recent engagements include Rachmaninoff’s The Bells in a return appearance with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, which was recorded for broadcast on National Public Radio’s Performance Today. Twice a Metropolitan Opera regional finalist, Skoog made his professional operatic debut as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with the Lyric Opera of San Antonio. His operatic credits include roles in Carmen, Die Fledermaus, Die Zauberflӧte, L’Enfant et Les Sortileges, The Love for Three Oranges, The Merry Widow, The Pirates of Penzance, Rita, Savitri, Susannah, Turandot and Werther. Recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, Skoog is a Sandra G. Powell Excellence Professor at the University of Tennessee and currently serves as President of the Tennessee National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Professor Landon Paul
Director of UT Singers
Landon Paul is a proud alumnus of our fine institution and holds two degrees from UT. He hails from Mt. Pleasant, TN and is married to his wife of 9 years, Ashley. Together, they have three children: Weston (4), Keller (2), and Keasling (1).
Landon is in his sixth year of collegiate teaching experience between his time at UT and Johnson University. He has taught UT Singers and Women’s Chorale at UT. He has also taught choral conducting, choral/vocal pedagogy, and the Vox Chorale ensemble at Johnson University.
Professor Shawn Turner
Director of Gospel Choir
Shawn Turner is an alumnus of the UT College of Music, having completed a degree in Studio Music and Jazz. He has experience teaching in middle and high school levels and is the lead male vocalist in Pinky Ring and Aftah Party, local professional entertainment bands performing classic and modern R&B, Funk and Soul musics. He is also Artist in Residence at the Old City Performing Arts Center. Professor Turner has over twenty years of experience in church music ministry and currently serves as the Choir Director at Sevier Heights Baptist Church. He is excited to be joining the Choral Area of the College of Music in Fall 2023 as Director of Gospel Choir.
Ensembles
Chamber Singers
Chamber Singers is a select auditioned choir of singers that performs a variety of music from all periods. In addition to regular concerts on the UT campus, the Chamber Singers have performed all over the world. Off-campus appearances have included concerts for community arts groups, State and Division Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, and concerts for Christmas at Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. Most recently, the Chamber Singers complete a Cathedral Residency in Ireland and Northern Ireland, where they sang in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin and Downpatrick Cathedral, Northern Ireland. They have toured also Russia where they shared concerts with the choirs from both the St. Petersburg and Moscow Conservatories. In addition, the Chamber Singers, along with other UT choirs, has been the Chorus-in-Residence for the International Cathedral Music Festival at Oxford University in Oxford, England.
Concert Choir
Concert Choir is an auditioned mixed ensemble of 50-55 singers whose membership represents a variety of academic disciplines. This choir performs music ranging from unaccompanied Renaissance motets to contemporary compositions to works with orchestra. In addition to concerts on the UT campus, the Concert Choir has performed on national public and cable television, with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and at convention programs of various professional music organizations. The Concert Choir, along with other UT choirs, has been the Chorus-in-Residence for the International Cathedral Music Festival at Oxford University in Oxford, England.
Men’s Chorale
Men’s Chorale is dedicated to building a brotherhood within the choral tradition and to performing a wide variety of music written specifically for male voices. Membership in this ensemble is open to all students at the University. In addition to regularly scheduled on campus concerts, the Men’s Chorale occasionally joins with other UT choirs to perform major works of the choral repertoire. Along with other UT choirs, the Men’s Chorale has been a part of the Chorus-in-Residence for the International Cathedral Music Festival at Oxford University. Oxford, England.
Women’s Chorale
Women’s Chorale is an auditioned ensemble that performs a wide variety of music written specifically for women’s voices. This group, whose membership is drawn from throughout the University, performs both on and off campus. Periodically, the Women’s Chorale joins with the Concert Choir for performances with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and, along with other UT choirs, has been a part of the Chorus-in-Residence for the International Cathedral Music Festival at Oxford University, Oxford, England.
A Cappella Ensembles
Contemporary a cappella ensembles are also an exciting part of the Choral Program. Auditions for these ensembles normally occur after the beginning of fall classes. To be eligible for membership, students must also be in Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Women’s Chorale, or Men’s Chorale. Graduate members must have and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Undergraduate members must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7, as well as a minimum 3.0 in music classes for music majors.
UT Singers
UT Singers is the oldest vocal ensemble on the UT campus. Its roots date back to the 50s and, like any great artist, has evolved its image with the changing times. UT Singers started as a traditional choral ensemble, then changed to a show choir, a jazz choir, and now, a contemporary a cappella group.
Eligibility: UT Singers does not require an additional Choral Ensemble membership. Graduate members must have and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Undergraduate members must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7, as well as a minimum 3.0 in music classes for music majors.
Scholarships are available for UT Singers.
Auditions: Auditions for the UT Singers occur in the spring and are by invitation from the director when there are openings for new personnel. At the audition, you will be asked to perform a prepared song. You will also be asked to vocalize.
reVOLution
reVOLution was formed in 2010 and specializes in their signature brand of sassy stylings of contemporary favorites.
Eligibility: To be eligible for reVOLution or VOLume, students must also be in Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Women’s Chorale, or Men’s Chorale.
Auditions: Auditions will take place after the beginning of fall semester.
VOLume
VOLume was formed in 2009 and has brought much energy and excitement to the choral program with their unique blend of a cappella stylizing of popular music.
Eligibility: To be eligible for reVOLution or VOLume, students must also be in Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Women’s Chorale, or Men’s Chorale.
Auditions: Auditions will take place after the beginning of fall semester.