Skip to Main Content
Menu

Choral Studies

A Letter From The Area Director

Welcome to Choral Studies at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music.

Through weekly private voice lessons, coaching, and studio classes; enriching coursework; and dynamic and diverse performance opportunities, our renowned voice faculty will prepare you for a 21st-century career in music performance, education, scholarship, administration, or other vocations.

Alumni of our voice program have gone on to perform in the world’s greatest concert halls, opera houses, professional choral ensembles, and jazz groups. They are also among the nation’s best schoolteachers, choral directors, and voice teachers as our faculty prepare you to share your knowledge and experience with others. Whether it be through performance, education, academia, or administration, our graduates find success in their own musical calling.

Our ensembles are nationally recognized. For decades our Opera program has prepared students for admission to elite summer festivals and young artist programs. Our award-winning Chamber Choir regularly tours across the country and the globe. And our vocal jazz ensembles, Pacific Standard Time and Jazz & Tonic, are regarded as some of the best in the nation.

Here at CSULB, we believe in learning by doing. Through solo recitals, masterclass opportunities, our Evening of Song concert series, and our diverse ensembles, you will grow and thrive as a musician.

Come tour our campus, sit in on our opera and choral rehearsals, and take sample lessons with our voice faculty!

We look forward to welcoming you to Long Beach!

Jonathan Talberg headshot and signature.

Dr. Jonathan Talberg

Director of Choral Activities
Bob Cole Conservatory of Music

top ↑

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Music, Option in Performance—Concentration in Voice

The Bachelor of Music, Option in Performance—Concentration in Voice is a pre-professional, NASM-accredited program that provides students the necessary tools for a professional career as a singer. The Bob Cole Conservatory Vocal, Opera, and Choral Program, one of the largest undergraduate voice departments in the state of California, supports the CSULB Opera program, seven ensembles, weekly studio classes, guest-artist masterclasses, international tours, and significant scholarship to all voice majors. Our students take the required core in music theory, history, piano proficiency, and applied lessons; our ensembles, opera and musical theater productions, vocal jazz groups, and repertoire courses prepare our young artists for a career in music.

Master of Music, Option in Choral Conducting

CSULB’s Master in Choral Conducting program offers extraordinary hands-on opportunities for conductors who are looking for the next step in their career. Our small cohort of 2-4 students allows each conductor ample podium time and weekly lessons. Most graduate students have assistantships, either to direct or to assist one of our ensembles, to teach class voice, or to assist with theory or music history. Seminars in choral repertoire, university teaching, music history and theory, and private lessons (one hour weekly with faculty and our staff pianist) form the core of the curriculum. We cover a tremendous amount of music, technique, pedagogy, and style. With 100% placement into DMA programs or teaching positions, CSULB’s M.M. in Conducting is among the most prestigious in the country. The cohort is currently full; applications will open for the 2025 season. For more information, please email Dr. Talberg directly at jonathan.talberg@csulb.edu

top ↑

Side Menu

Voice Faculty

All Faculty/Staff
  • Bob Cole Conservatory of Music
  • California State University, Long Beach
  • 1250 N. Bellflower Blvd.
  • Long Beach, CA 90840-7101
  • 562-985-4781 phone
  • 562-985-2490 fax
  • csulb.edu/coleconservatory

Privacy Policy

©2002-2024 Bob Cole Conservatory/CSULB