Welcome!
As part of the University of Arizona School of Music, the choral area carries on a 75-year tradition of joyful excellence in performance, education and scholarship.
Seven choral ensembles provide enriching and gratifying musical experiences for students, faculty, staff and community members of all ability and experience levels. Graduates of our programs enjoy rewarding careers in positions throughout the globe – in higher education, with professional and community choirs, at religious institutions and in K-12 programs.
Both undergraduate and graduate students are afforded a variety of leadership and professional opportunities as part of their studies and in the greater Tucson community, including with university and community ensembles, and also through financially supported participation in international master classes, professional organizations, conferences, research projects and workshops.
University of Arizona choral ensembles have achieved distinction through invitations to perform at Carnegie Hall, with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and other regional musical organizations, and for professional conferences of American Choral Directors Association, National Collegiate Choral Organization, GALA Choruses, College Music Society, and Arizona Music Educators Association.
Come join us and make the University of Arizona your musical home – we have a place for you!
Donate Today
Choral Area Fund
Gifts to this fund support the broad work of the University of Arizona Choirs. Gifts support scholarships, music purchase, recordings, instrumentalists, etc., Gifts are unrestricted and are spent directly.
Bruce Chamberlain Choral Endowment
Proceeds from this endowment support scholarships for graduate students in University of Arizona’s renowned choral conducting program. The fund is named for Dr. Bruce Chamberlain, Director of Choral Activities from 2000-2018.
Dr. Chamberlain was a tireless advocate for his conducting students and they carry on his legacy today, working as professors and conductors throughout the world. Gifts to this fund remain in perpetuity and only interest is spent.
University Community Chorus Endowment
Proceeds from this endowment support scholarships for music education students with a choral emphasis. This endowment was begun with funds donated by members of University Community Chorus in 2017. Gifts to this fund remain in perpetuity and only interest is spent.
Holiday Card To Tucson
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2025 3 PM & 7 PM
CATALINA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
University of Arizona’s annual gift to the Tucson community, these performances feature audience sing-alongs as well as seasonal music performed by UA Symphonic Choir, Tucson Girls Chorus, University Community Chorus, Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus and University Singers. Get your tickets early for this popular Tucson tradition!
$25-30 (a limited number of free vouchers also available)
Buy tickets for the 3pm performance.
Buy tickets for the 7pm performance.
Please note, balcony seats are accessible by stairs only.
CD Release!
We are pleased to announce the release of Marianna Martines – Terza Messa, presented by the University of Arizona Symphonic Choir and Orchestra, Dr. Elizabeth Schauer, conductor.
Faculty
Elizabeth Schauer (she/her) serves as Director of Choral Activities at University of Arizona, where she conducts Symphonic Choir, and teaches graduate conducting and choral literature with a student-centered focus to an international population of learners. Dr. Schauer is internationally recognized for her innovative and inclusive curricular approach, and is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence in teaching, performance and scholarship. With a focus on diversifying the choral literature curriculum to include historically excluded composers and populations alongside those traditionally studied, Dr. Schauer also founded the University of Arizona Choral Studies Distinguished Speakers Series and the UA Summer Choral Literature Intensive to bring this information to the greater choral community. She is a published author and editor, and is in demand nationally as a presenter, conductor and master class clinician.
Under her direction, Symphonic Choir has been selected by audition and invited to perform on the professional conferences of National Collegiate Choral Organization, GALA Choruses, American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), College Music Society (CMS), American Guild of Organists and Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA). In addition, the choir has been featured on the ACDA National YouTube Channel and the Community Concerts Series of KUAT-FM Classical Radio. Symphonic Choir is celebrated for its innovative programs, vibrant tone, stylistic flexibility, expressive commitment, and philanthropic engagement. Notable musical collaborations include performances with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Mariachi Arizona, Reveille Men’s Chorus, Tucson Women's Chorus, Tucson Girls Chorus and Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus. Philanthropic projects have involved Tucson’s Housing First Program, Tucson Refugee Ministry, Doctors Without Borders, Pima Animal Care Center and The Hunger Site.
Dr. Schauer has presented sessions at the national, regional and state conferences of ACDA, GALA Choruses, Presbyterian Association of Musicians, CMS and AMEA. Her students are published authors, are regularly selected for participation in regional and national conducting master classes and research poster sessions, and are frequent interest session presenters for state conferences of AzACDA and AMEA. Former students are active as music educators at public and private schools, in faith communities, and at colleges and universities throughout the world, and have been accepted into respected graduate schools and programs for continued study.
M. Nicole Davis, Ph.D. (she/hers) is Assistant Professor of Music, Choral Conducting, and Choral Music Education, and serves as Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Arizona. She conducts University Singers and the University Community Chorus, and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in conducting and choral methods. Her student-centered mentorship has led to national recognition, with recent mentees selected for prestigious fellowships and conducting masterclasses.
A committed educator and conductor, Davis creates inclusive, community-centered choral experiences that are artistically ambitious and culturally responsive. She is the founding director of The Connection Series, an interdisciplinary concert initiative that pairs commissioned choral works with public learning. Recent collaborations include the Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum and Pima County Cooperative Extension. In 2025, University Singers was selected to perform at the Arizona Music Educators Association Conference, earning statewide recognition for excellence.
Davis’s scholarly and creative activity explores the intersections of music, identity, and access. She has presented at NCCO, NAfME, and ACDA conferences and co-authored a recent column in The Choral Journal on elevating underrecognized composers. She is an invited conductor, lecturer, and clinician at institutions and events across the country.
Nationally, Davis serves on the leadership team for Women in Choral Higher Education, on the board of Voices for Social Justice, and as a DEI Committee member for the American Choral Directors Association Western Region. At the University of Arizona, she co-directs the UA Summer Music Camp and leads annual outreach events, including the University High School Honor Choir.
