Program Recognition
•NASM-accredited member program (National Association of Schools of Music)
•Vocal Performance is one of six BA in Music emphases (alongside Instrumental, Piano Performance & Pedagogy, Theory/Composition, Management, and Music in the Liberal Arts)
Training
•Applied voice lessons each term, with coursework in vocal pedagogy, vocal diction, and choral/vocal literature
•Applied Opera Workshop (2 cr.) can be repeated up to twice to prepare for professional careers and graduate study
•Foreign-language study is encouraged so singers can perform repertoire in multiple languages
Performance & Productions
•Required Junior Vocal Recital (MUS 396) and Senior Vocal Recital (MUS 496)
•Choral homes include the SMSU Chorale (the department's elite mixed ensemble, by audition), Alta Voce (soprano/alto voices), and the SMSU Glee Club (tenor/baritone/bass voices)
•Instrumentalists and accompanists also perform with the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra and Symphonic Chamber Winds
Professional Development
•In 2021, under Director of Choral Activities Dr. Stephen Kingsbury, SMSU restructured Alta Voce and the Glee Club as gender-inclusive voice-type ensembles — among the first programs in Minnesota to make the change
