Drake Choirs

Drake University Choirs Website

Fall Choral Auditions FAQ

The Drake Choir, a select ensemble of 80 students, tours regionally on an annual basis and internationally every four years. The choir has sung in major venues in Europe, has performed in New York in both Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, and frequently collaborates with the Des Moines Symphony. In May 2019, the choir toured Italy, France, and Austria.

spēro, consisting of 30 singers chosen from the Drake Choir, presents numerous on and off-campus performances each year.  The choir tours internationally every four years and, in January 2018, sang in England, performing in London at St. Paul’s Cathedral and St. Martin in the Fields, the cathedrals of Coventry and Ely, and at Cambridge University.

Borealis, a select treble choir, presents four on-campus performances per year and, like the Drake Choir, has collaborated with the Des Moines Symphony.

Drake University Community Chorus, a non-select ensemble, is open to students, faculty, staff and community members and performs twice a year. 

Special Projects and Collaborations: The Drake Choirs offer frequent opportunities for collaboration with other musicians, as well as participation in comprehensive learning projects that take both singers and audiences deeper into exploration of important topics.

Drake Vocal Jazz Singers is the premier vocal jazz ensemble within the Department of Music at Drake University. Under the direction of Dr. Ann Cravero, Drake Vocal Jazz Singers is an auditioned group that consists of approximately sixteen vocalists stemming from a wide variety of academic majors, including music, across campus. Performances include ensemble and solo singing opportunities with a jazz combo, as well as festival participation and masterclasses with world-class musicians.

Drake Choirs Faculty:

• Dr. Eric Barnum, Director of Choral Activities (The Drake Choir & spēro)
• Ted Brimeyer, Teaching Artist of Choirs (Borealis)
• Josh Boggs, Teaching Artist of Choirs (Drake Univiersity Community Chorus)

Drake Voice Faculty:

• Dr. Ann Cravero, Department Chair, Professor of Voice, & Director of Drake Vocal Jazz Singers
• Leanne Freeman-Miller, Ellis & Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Voice
• Dr. Alyssa Becker, Teaching Associate of Voice
• Christine Blanner, Teaching Associate of Voice & Director of Drake Opera Theatre
• Greg Sojka, Teaching Associate of Voice 
• Ted Brimeyer, Teaching Artist of Voice & Choirs
• Josh Boggs, Teaching Artist of Choirs
• Dr. Seth Tack, Teaching Artist of Voice
• Cassie Makeeff, Teaching Associate of Vocal Coaching