Program Description:
The Master of Music in Choral Conducting is geared towards students wishing to enhance their musical and conducting abilities while gaining a firm academic background in choral music.
Learning Objectives:
Graduate students pursuing a master’s degree in choral conducting will gain:
- a comprehensive understanding of choral literature
- enhanced skill and improved physical coordination to musically translate traditional musical symbols found in the score into appropriate conducting gestures
- an awareness of the effect of gesture on choral tone, intonation, rhythmic precision, and vocal efficiency
- enhanced rehearsal techniques, listening skills, and score preparation
- the ability to successfully conduct musical research based on a solid understanding of differing musical styles and genres
- The culminating project of the MM in choral conducting is a lecture recital with the NAU Chamber Choir in which each graduate conductor will have the opportunity to research a particular composer and/or topic of his or her interest.
Careers: Graduates with a Master of Music in Choral Conducting are full-time choir directors for churches and non-profit music associations. They can also teach in K-12 schools and community colleges.
Why Study Choral Conducting at NAU?
Master of Music students at Northern Arizona University receive personal attention, generous graduate assistantships, and significant teaching and conducting opportunities. The program is academically rigorous while providing numerous opportunities to improve performance skills. In addition to the comprehensive courses in choral literature and conducting, the MM degree also offers students a well-rounded program of music history and theory. Students with successful teaching experience are often given the opportunity to be principal conductor of one of the university choral ensembles. Choral Conducting students are also strongly encouraged to study private voice and take courses in vocal pedagogy and instrumental conducting during their two-year degree program.
There are numerous opportunities for students to conduct and to perform among them are the eight departmental ensembles: Shrine of the Ages Choir, Women’s Chorale, Men’s Chorale, Chamber Singers, University Singers, two vocal jazz ensembles (High Altitude & Voice Jazz I), plus the Harold M. Harter Memorial Handbell Choir, one of the finest ensembles in the Southwest with six-octaves of handbells and choir chimes. Additionally, each spring the choral area joins forces with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra to perform a major choral/orchestral masterpiece. Recent works include Mozart's C Minor Mass, Orff's Carmina Burana, Brahms's Deutsches Requiem, Bach's St. John Passion and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem.
NAU choirs have performed at Arizona Music Educators conventions and regional and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and Music Educators National Conference. NAU choral ensembles tour regionally and every three years the Shrine of the Ages Choir tours internationally. In May 2004, Shrine of the Ages Choir toured Austria and Germany, perforiming Verdi's Requiem in Rothenburg, Germany with the Würzburg Philharmonic. Shrine traveled to New Zealand and Australia in 2007 and plans to tour South Africa in May 2010.
By studying Choral Conducting at NAU, you will gain both a solid academic foundation and tremendous actual conducting experience.
Leading you through your studies, the NAU choral faculty has extensive experience teaching choral music at the secondary and collegiate levels. They are national and international leaders in the field of choral music as festival conductors, adjudicators and conference clinicians.
Dr. Edith Copley Director of Choral StudiesGraduate Conducting
Choral Literature I, II, III
Advanced Conducting (undergraduate)
Shrine of the Ages Choir
Supervises graduate lecture recitals
Dr. Ryan Holder Associate Director of Choral StudiesUndergraduate Basic Conducting
Graduate Conducting
Secondary Choral Methods
Women’s Chorale
Vocal Jazz I
High Altitude
Admissions Requirements
A Bachelor’s degree in Music, admission to the Graduate College at Northern Arizona University (minimum 3.0 GPA) and approval of the Choral faculty based upon application materials and audition.
Application Procedures
Step 1. Go online and apply to the NAU Graduate College at Graduate College. The Graduate College application will require your undergraduate transcripts.
Step 2. Contact Dr. Todd Sullivan, Director, NAU School of Music
Step 3. Contact Dr. Edith A. Copley, director of choral studies
Please send three letters of recommendation to:
Dr. Edith A. CopleyStep 4.Prospective graduate students are asked to send a 30-minute DVD of a rehearsal with one of their current ensembles. The DVD should include a warm-up with the choir and a rehearsal of two choral selections.
NAU Choral Studies
Box 6040
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6040
After reviewing all the application materials (transcripts, letters of recommendations, rehearsal DCD), selected applicants are invited to NAU for an on-campus interview/audition in February or March.
On-Campus Auditions
While on the NAU campus, each applicant will sing to demonstrate vocal ability; play a composition at the piano that demonstrates keyboard abilities; sight-sing to demonstrate rhythmic and melodic reading ability and sense of pitch; and conduct a 25-minute rehearsal with the Shrine of the Ages Choir (NAU’s top concert choir). Applicants will be told in advance the specific repertoire they should prepare for the on-campus audition.
In preparation for the on-campus audition, applicants are also requested to write a two-page essay that describes their music background, their strengths as a conductor/teacher and what they hope to improve during the course of their graduate studies.
Graduate students accepted into the MM degree in choral conducting at NAU typically have three or more years of successful teaching experience. Applicants with teaching experience may apply for a half or full graduate assistantship. Students who receive a full or partial assistantship automatically will receive a full out-of-state tuition waiver, plus a portion of the in-state tuition. Full out-of-state tuition or in-state scholarships are also available for students who do not receive assistantship awards.
MM degree candidates in choral conducting enjoy the rigor of the coursework, the quality of the choral ensembles, and the excellent conducting opportunities.
Please send rehearsal DVD to:
Dr Edith A. Copley, Director
NAU Choral Studies
Box 6040
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
If sending by UPS or Fed Ex use the following address:
Dr. Edith A. Copley, Director
NAU Choral Studies
1115 S. Knoles Drive
Building 37, Rm. 120
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6040
928-523-2642
Program of Study Requirements
To see a the specific courses required for the MM degree in choral conducting, please click on the following link:
MM_Choral Condoucting Program of Study 09-10.docx