Choirs
Choral Studies at CSULB is a vibrant area of the Conservatory where people from all over the University gather to make music together. Our choirs perform repertoire spanning from Gregorian chant to modern masterpieces by living composers. Most importantly, there is a choir for everyone—from the beginning singer looking to make music with others in an encouraging environment to advanced vocal musicians seeking challenging artistic endeavors and collaborations with some of the most important musical artists of our time.
Chamber Choir
The Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir is the premier choral ensemble at CSULB. Described by Eric Whitacre as "The gold standard of American university choirs," the ensemble was named "Choir of the World" in 2016 at the Welsh National Eisteddfod. Comprised of the finest singers at the University, the Chamber Choir tours yearly and has concertized throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and China. The ensemble is committed to performing great works from the choral canon and premieres by composers both emerging and world famous. The Chamber Choir performed at the National Collegiate Choral Organization Conferences at Yale in 2009, at the College of Charleston in 2013, at the American Choral Directors Association National Conferences in 2021 and 2023, as well as five Western ACDA conventions. Alumni of the Chamber Choir are teaching K-12 music in schools throughout California, running collegiate choral programs of nationwide importance, leading worship in church and synagogue, and are currently under contract as singers with the Metropolitan, San Francisco, Wolf Trapp, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles Opera. Alums sing in professional choirs nationwide, including Conspirare, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Sphinx, Seraphic Fire, and the Santa Fe Desert Chorale.
Since its inception in 1949, the ensemble has been conducted by a distinguished line of nationally recognized conductors, including Frank Pooler, Ed Thompson, Leland Vail, Lynn Bielefelt, and, since 2000, Jonathan Talberg. For more information please contact Dr. Jonathan Talberg.
University Choir
University Choir is a select ensemble of 55-75 voices. The University Choir has appeared before regional and national conventions of the ACDA, MENC, and CMEA, demonstrating its versatility in presenting works from the Renaissance through the 21st century. The choir has recorded extensively and appears on soundtracks for film and video games. The University Choir was the first American choir to tour Scandinavia, and has toured extensively on 4 continents. It is conducted by Jonathan Talberg and the extraordinary students of CSULB’s Master of Music Program in Choral Conducting. For more information please contact Dr. Jonathan Talberg.
ConChord
ConChord is a non-auditioned SATB choir open to all students at CSULB. The ensemble is a place for communal music-making across the whole CSULB campus. Its mission and name come from the word concord, meaning "harmony between people." In pursuit of this mission, ConChord serves as an artistic space that presents programming to promote how we as a CSULB community work to build a better world.
ConChord Choir meets Tuesday nights from 7-9:45 PM. Register for Music 100E or 300E for ConChord Choir. For more information, please contact Amanda Mitten.
Bel Canto
Bel Canto is an auditioned ensemble that provides soprano and alto vocalists with a unique and thrilling experience performing the rich repertoire of music composed specifically for treble voices, from the Middle Ages to the present. The ensemble performs two concerts each semester. Register for MUS 200/400 Q. For more information please contact Slav Sokolov.
Cantus
Cantus is an auditioned ensemble open to all tenors and basses at CSULB interested in performing various choral repertoire, while acquiring basic vocal technique and musicianship skills. The ensemble will have several performance opportunities throughout the academic year, including combined concerts with ConChord, Bel Canto, University Choir, and Chamber Choir. Register for MUS 200/400 I. For more information please contact Andy Degan.
