Larry D. Wyatt

Larry Wyatt is in his 22nd year as Director of Choral Studies at the University of South Carolina.  In addition to directing the Concert Choir, he supervises the master’s and doctoral programs in choral conducting and the Graduate Vocal Ensemble. 

Dr. Wyatt holds degrees from Murray State University, The University of North Texas, and Florida State University.  Prior to coming to USC, he served as Choral Director and Coordinator of the Vocal Department at Loyola University in New Orleans.  While in New Orleans he founded the New Orleans Symphony Chorus and prepared them for performances of over forty major works with internationally recognized conductors.  In addition to the New Orleans Symphony, his choirs have sung with the Houston, Atlanta, Charleston, South Carolina Philharmonic and Jerusalem Symphony Orchestras. He has prepared choruses for Robert Shaw, Lawrence Foster, Krzysztof Penderecki, Maxim Schostakovich, Robert Page, David Stahl, Philippe Entremont, Leonard Slatkin, Sergiu Comissiona, Andrew Massey, James Paul, Nicholas Smith and of course, Donald Portnoy.  He has conducted and served as a clinician in Mexico, Argentina, Bulgaria and Canada.  In February 2002, he conducted Vaughan-Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem in his third engagement at Carnegie Hall, and in February of 2005 he conducted Beethoven's Mass in C in the same venue.

In addition to his work at USC, Dr. Wyatt is founder and director of Colla Voce, a community chamber ensemble of professional musicians that began in the spring of 2001.  He is active as a clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator, and has served as president of the Southern Division of the American Choral Directors Association.

Alicia W. Walker

Dr. Alicia W. Walker is Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at USC, where she directs the University Chorus, teaches Conducting and Choral Methods, and supervises student teachers.  She holds degrees from Florida State University, (BME), the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MCM) and the University of Georgia (DMA).  Her conducting teachers have included André Thomas, John Dickson, and Allen Crowell.  An experienced music educator, Dr. Walker taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in Florida and Georgia prior to joining the music education faculty at the University of Georgia.  She brings a strong sense of the ethics of music education to the choral music students in her classes.