The University Singers, the University of Virginia’s flagship choral ensemble, will be on concert tour from the Blue Ridge to the Big Apple this May 2023, appearing in seven states. Led by UVA faculty conductor Michael Slon, the ensemble will perform in Winchester and Norfolk, VA; Greensboro, NC; Johnson, TN; Morgantown, WV; New York City, NY; Lancaster, PA; and Princeton, NJ. The tour is also likely to include a special National Anthem for Major League Baseball. UVA alumni are especially encouraged to join us, and UVA Singers alumni in attendance at concerts will be able to join the Singers on stage for the traditional UVA songs.
The ensemble will present a program of a cappella and accompanied works featuring excerpts from Rachmaninoff’s Vespers and Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard; works by several women composers including Abbie Betinis, Rosephanye Powell, and Alice Parker; Jake Runestad’s “Let My Love Be Heard,” J.A.C. Redford’s “Let Beauty Be Our Memorial,” the Beatles “Blackbird,” a Nigerian carol, an arrangement of the folk song “Loch Lomond,” and more, including the traditional UVA songs. The Singers look forward to sharing their music – join us for a performance at one of this year’s tour venues! (The complete list is included below.)
The UVA University Singers is the University of Virginia’s flagship choral ensemble, heard by thousands each season in performances of a cappella and accompanied choral repertoire, including major works with orchestra. In 2017, the group joined the Charlottesville Symphony on the steps of the Rotunda to perform for UVA’s Bicentennial Launch Celebration, before an estimated crowd of 20,000. In recent years, the Singers have also sung for Les Misérables creators Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil during their UVA residencies, sung for the 2016 UVA Holiday greeting which received more than 400,000 views on social media, presented Bernstein’s Mass for the 2018 Bernstein centennial, and taken a two-week concert tour of England, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Austria. Other choral program highlights have included concerts and workshops with Bobby McFerrin and Meredith Monk, a performance for Hillary Clinton, a performance for the 2010 VMEA Conference, a 2012 workshop with members of the Tallis Scholars, a 2014 performance for Philip Glass, and frequent collaborations with the Charlottesville Symphony, including the popular Family Holiday Concerts. During the pandemic, they continued to present virtual performances, and hosted online master classes with Eric Whitacre, Alice Parker, and other choral luminaries. Highlights since have included a joint performance of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers with the Oratorio Society of VA, and a performance for Pres. Ryan’s Arts on the Hill series – and the ensemble looks forward to a May 2023 concert tour.
Students in the University Singers come from UVA's six undergraduate schools, including Arts and Sciences, Education, and Engineering, as well as several of the University's graduate and professional schools. While approximately 25-30% are music majors, the ensemble is open to any student by audition, and is a for-credit curricular class. Together, members enjoy an esprit de corps that arises from the pursuit of musical excellence, and the camaraderie the singers develop offstage.
The complete tour itinerary follows. A freewill donation will be taken at most of the tour concerts. For more information please call (434) 924-3052 or visit:
http://music.virginia.edu/usingers | https://usingers.virginia.edu
To see the University Singers promotional video, visit: https://youtu.be/BDe08BXEFjI
To read about the recent production of Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard, see the Daily Progress story here.
UVA University Singers May 2023: “From the Blue Ridge to the Big Apple”
(A freewill donation will be taken at most concerts.)
Monday May 22, 2023:
Concert, 7:30 pm
Well-Spring Retirement Community
4100 Well Spring Dr.
Greensboro, NC 27410
Wednesday May 24, 2023:
Concert, 8:00 pm
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church
3346 University Ave.
Morgantown, WV 26505
Thursday May 25, 2023:
Concert, 7:00 pm
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church
130 Keating Dr.
Winchester, VA 22601
Saturday May 27, 2023:
Concert, 2:00 pm
Grace Church in New York
802 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
Sunday May 28, 2023:
Concert, 4:00 pm
Trinity Lutheran Church
31 S. Duke St.
Lancaster, PA 17602
Monday May 29, 2023:
Concert, 4:00 pm
St. Paul’s Church
216 Nassau Street
Princeton, NJ 08542
Tuesday May 30, 2023:
Concert, 8:00 pm
The Basilica of St. Mary
232 Chapel St.
Norfolk, VA 23504
Saturday June 3, 2023:
National Anthem, 4:00pm
Nationals Park
1500 S Capitol St SE
Washington, DC 20003