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Concert Choir
University Chorus
Carolina Alive

The following ensembles offer opportunities for graduate choral conducting students to conduct:

Graduate Vocal Ensemble
Chamber Singers

In 1987 they performed for the visit of Pope John Paul II, and in 1988 were invited to perform three concerts with the Jerusalem Symphony under Lawrence Foster, Sergiu Comissiona,and Krystoff Penderecki. Under Maestro Penderecki they performed his Saint Luke Passion. In 1990 they traveled to Spain and performed Handel's Messiah in a series of concerts.

In the spring of 1992 they were one of seventeen university ensembles selected to perform on the Mozart Bicentennial Mozart in Concert series in Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center. They followed that performance by a highly successful presentation of J.S. Bach's Saint John Passion for the Southern Division Convention of the American Choral Director's Association. In the summer of 1994 they were the "choir-in-residence" for the Classical Music Seminar in Eisenstadt, Austria.

In 1998 the choir performed again on the Southern Division Convention of ACDA. During the summer they toured Germany and the Czech Republic. The highlight of that tour was a performance in the Thomas Kirche at Leipzig, the church served by J.S. Bach during the latter part of his life.

Concert Choir toured Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana in the spring of 1999. The high point of the tour was performing in the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. Take a look at pictures of other favorite tour moments.

In March of 2000 selected members of the choir, along with the USC Left Bank Big Band, traveled to London and Paris to perform The Best of the Sacred Concerts of Duke Ellington. While on tour they also performed solo concerts at the cathedrals of Canterbury, Chartres and Notre Dame.

Another highlight of the 1999-2000 year was the world premiere of William Averitt's St. Matthew Passion. This epic work, which incorporates Southern Hymnody in much the same way as Bach incorporated chorales in his passions, was performed on Good Friday at Columbia's First Presbyterian Church, in conjunction with the Chancel Choir of First Presbyterian and the Women's Chorus from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

About the Director...Dr. Larry Wyatt is in his twenty-first 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 a Ph.D. from Florida State University, a master's degree from the University of North Texas, and a BME from Murray 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. His choirs have been honored with invitations to perform on several occasions for the American Choral Directors Association conventions, serving as a "headliner" presenting the Bach St. John Passion in 1992, and most recently, as the demonstration choir for the interest session, "Music for Solo Instrument and Choir." Dr. Wyatt 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 which began in spring 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. He was nominated for the national presidency of ACDA in 1994, and served as president of South Carolina ACDA from 1997-1999.

The University Chorus

The University of South Carolina University Chorus (Mixed Ensemble), Men's Chorus and Women's Chorus, directed by Carol Krueger, are open enrollment ensembles. Membership is diverse and represents a broad diversity of educational pursuits: science, engineering, humanities, languages and, of course, music. They share an ability and love for music, especially singing. Noted for its innovative and versatile programming the choirs pride themselves in singing challenging and diverse repertoire. Whether singing a classical motet or a song from American musical theater, the choirs receive enthusiastic repsonses for their remarkable artistry and distinctive style. Performances regularly include concerts on campus and the surrounding communities.

The choirs have joined forces with the USC Concert Choir and USC Orchestra to perform outstanding choral-orchestral works including Britten's War Requiem, Verdi's Requiem, Beethoven's Mass in C and Poulenc's Gloria. In 2005 the University Chorus was honored to sing at the South Carolina Music Educators Conference in Charleston. In June 2006, singers enrolled in these ensembles toured in Austria and Hungary.

About the director...Carol Krueger is the Associate Director of Choral Studies at the University of South Carolina where she conducts the University Choir, teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and methods courses, and supervises student teachers.  Prior to her appointment at South Carolina, Dr. Krueger held positions at the University of Montevallo and at the University of Miami, and spent more than twenty years as a choral music educator in the public schools in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Florida.  A native of Wisconsin, Krueger received her bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and both an MA and DMA in Choral Conducting from the University of Miami.

An active clinician and guest conductor, Krueger has most recently conducted festivals and honor choirs at the collegiate, high school and middle school levels in Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Washington, Georgia, South Carolina, Kansas, North Dakota, and North Carolina.  In December 2005, Dr. Krueger conducted multiple performances of Epcot’s Candlelight Processional and Massed Choir Program. 

About the Director... Graduate students who have a scheduled conducting recital during the current semester direct this ensemble.

The ensemble's first concert included pieces from Orlando di Lasso's Les Melanges des Chansons and Hans Leo Hassler's Neue Teutsche Gesang, and others by Giaches de Wert and Gesualdo. Other concerts have featured works from important collections published at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries by Josquin des Prez, Heinrich Isaac, Claude Le Jeune, and Luzzasco Luzzaschi and English, Italian and French works scored for chorus of sopranos, altos and tenors.