Choral Arts

150 Years of Singing

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Our Next Concert!

Friday, May 5 & Saturday, May 6 - 8PM at ZAC

Steven Sametz & Sun Min Lee, directors

A Sacred Garden

Bernstein: Make Our Garden Grow (from Candide) & Chichester Psalms

Sametz: Musicians' Prayer

Durufle: Requiem

 
 

LEHIGH CHORAL ARTS – ALL SINGERS WELCOME!

Lehigh's strong tradition of singing dates back to 1869. In 1978, the Glee Club and Chamber Singers combined under director Robert ("Boss") Cutler to form the University Choir. Since then, under Artistic Director Dr. Steven ("Doc") Sametz, the program has grown to include four ensembles:

The mixed-voice University Choir; our tenor-bass Glee Club; our treble choir, Dolce; and our symphonic choir, the Choral Union, comprised of students, staff, faculty, and townspeople.

Professor Sun Min Lee joined the Lehigh University Choral Arts family in 2011. She leads a dynamic program with our treble choir, Dolce, and often directs the University Choir and Choral Union.

 

   LEHIGH CHORAL ARTS SCHOLARSHIPS

Prospective students will be interested in finding out about our

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY CHORAL ARTS SCHOLARSHIPS!

We seek fine high school musicians who read well and have leadership potential.  Scholarships include yearly stipends and free voice lessons.  Open to all majors.

 

Upcoming Concerts & Performances

Irish Tour Concerts

Wednesday, May 24: St Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny

Thursday, May 25: Salthill Church, Galway (Masterclass with Steven Sametz for Irish conducting students)

Friday, May 26: Galway Cathedral, Galway (With the Cladden School of Music Choir)

Sunday, May 28: Cork City Hall, Cork

Tuesday: May 30: Irish Institute of Music & Song Concert Hall, Balbriggan (With the Maynooth University Choir)

 

Sunday, June 18 at 4 pm: Lehigh University Summer Choral Composers Forum Concert

Eriks Esenvalds (Guest mentor-composer)

The Princeton Singers (Steven Sametz, founder-director)

A concert of new works written during our Composers Forum week by aspiring composers from around the globe

Join us for this concert of premieres of 20 new choral works!

 
Lehigh University Choral Arts (2023-2024 Season)
 
Steven Sametz (Artistic Director) & Hana Cai (Associate Director)
 
 
Saturday, October 21 at 8 PM @ Sunday, October 22 at 4 PM
 

Handel: Zadok the Priest

Vaughan Williams: Variations on a Theme of Thomas Tallis

Steven Sametz: American Songs - Sacred and Profane

Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem

 

Sunday, December 10th at 4 PM & 8 PM: Christmas Vespers

Our annual gift to the community at Christmas time

 

Friday, March 22 & Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 8 PM

Lehigh University Choir, Glee Club, and Dolce: The "Best Of" Concert

 

Friday, May 3 & Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 8 PM

I Have Had Singing

Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem)

 

 

JOIN LEHIGH UNIVERSITY CHORAL ARTS

Lehigh University Choral Arts is comprised of four ensembles.  They all tour internationally and are featured at four concerts annually at Lehigh's state-of-the-art Zoellner Arts Center. 

All four ensembles carry Lehigh University course credit.

Lehigh University Choir - 50 undergraduate mixed voice choir

Lehigh University Glee Club - one of the oldest tenor-bass choirs in the nation

Dolce - The Lehigh University's elite treble choir 

The Choral Union - includes students, faculty, staff and townspeople. Lehigh valley's only symphonic choir, performing major works with orchestra

Townspeople and Lehigh staff and faculty may see more information on joining Choral Union here.

Current LUCA members can access the calendar for upcoming rehearsals and events here.

 

Students in our ensembles come from all disciplines of the University. Singers in the Glee Club and Dolce are selected from the University Choir.  There is only one audition required for these three groups.   

There is no audition required for Choral Union

All ensembles are offered for university credit. Auditions for University Choir, Glee Club and Dolce occur at the beginning and end of each semester.

Students: For more information on auditions or any questions, please contact Jacob Thompson (jat223@lehigh.edu). Townspeople, faculty and staff interested in joining Choral Union may contact Charis Lasky (charislucu@comcast.net).

Please feel free to watch or listen to some of our releases from the 2020-2021 season or explore some of our past performances! 

Reflections By Alumni

ELLIE (WOODS) KAHLE (’11)

“Choral Arts gave my Lehigh career purpose and an outlet to express myself surrounded by an amazing community. It was my home and safe place.” read more

JOHN COLE (’82)

My dear friend and fellow Lehigh Choir alum, Karen (Lindquist) Randall, ’83, once told me, “I think when you sing with people, you form a bond with them that is unique. A choir is different from your normal circle of friends or other groups you form based on many shared similarities. It’s a more diverse group, drawn together by a single, mutual interest. It’s the love of music that matters, at least at first. Then, as you join voices, something mystical happens. The thrill of creating something of beauty together forges that bond and leads to a realization: the differences between people you thought were there really aren’t there at all. You become a better person. Making music has a powerful effect.”  I couldn’t agree more. I’ve heard similar sentiments from other musicians, and I know it’s true for me.  read more