Elizabeth Swanson is associate director of choral activities and associate professor of music at the University of Colorado Boulder where she conducts the University Choir and Treble Chorus. Under her direction, the University Choir was selected to perform at the 2025 National Collegiate Choral Organization National Conference at Cal State Fullerton and performed at the 2023 Colorado Music Educators Association Conference. Swanson also teaches undergraduate conducting courses and serves on master's and doctoral committees. She oversaw the CU Boulder Choral Program as interim director for four semesters (2018-19; 2024), supervising all aspects of the program. In 2024, she received a university-wide Provost’s Faculty Achievement Award acknowledging her contributions to CU Boulder through scholarly and creative work, teaching, leadership and service. A sought-after guest conductor, pedagogue and presenter, Swanson has been a headlining artist for concerts at Carnegie Hall (2022 and 2024). She is regularly invited to be in residence and conduct festivals at higher education institutions such as Montana State University, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and University of Illinois Chicago. For three seasons, she served as associate conductor of Boulder-based Ars Nova Singers. Nationally, Swanson serves as the National Co-chair of Student Activities for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Swanson has also been a member of the conducting faculty at Nyack College in lower Manhattan (NYC), University of Chicago, North Park University and Ithaca College, and was a conductor of choral ensembles at Northwestern University and Roosevelt University in Chicago. Her dissertation was a qualitative analysis of “August 4, 1964,” an oratorio by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky with libretto by Gene Scheer. Her degrees are from Northwestern University (DMus conducting), Ithaca College (MM conducting) and St. Olaf College (BM education).
keywords
Performance, conducting, choral methods, conducting pedagogy, vocal pedagogy, choral-orchestral masterworks, music education, undergraduate and graduate student mentorship, choral music history, wellness.
EMUS 1207 - Festival Chorus
Secondary Instructor
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Fall 2023
Prepares a roughly 100-member, auditioned mixed voice choir of music majors, non-majors, and community members to perform choral repertory of the highest standards in public settings. Designed to perform with the CU Symphony Orchestra, CU Wind Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic, and CU Holiday Festival. Music is selected from all historical style periods with the focus on choral masterworks with instrumental forces. Same as MUSC 3207.
EMUS 1217 - Chamber Singers
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2024
CU's premiere choral ensemble, The CU Chamber Singers, is comprised of auditioned graduate and undergraduate singers. Chamber Singers has been cited with critical acclaim for its performances and sings classically based literature from all cultures and style periods. Members are selected by audition at the beginning of each academic year. Degree credit not granted for this course and EMUS 3127 or 5217.
EMUS 1227 - University Choir
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
EMUS 1237 - Treble Chorus
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
This collaborative ensemble is devoted to the study and performance of wide-ranging voice-specific repertoire. This choir performs on campus and in the Boulder-area two to four times per semester. Audition required.
EMUS 1477 - Chamber Choir
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019
Study and performance of various vocal styles, including madrigals and vocal jazz, investigation of the challenges of music making in a small group choral setting. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours. Same as EMUS 3477 and EMUS 5477.
EMUS 3207 - Festival Chorus
Secondary Instructor
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Fall 2023
Prepares a roughly 100-member, auditioned mixed voice choir of music majors, non-majors, and community members to perform choral repertory of the highest standards in public settings. Designed to perform with the CU Symphony Orchestra, CU Wind Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic, and CU Holiday Festival. Music is selected from all historical style periods with the focus on choral masterworks with instrumental forces. Same as EMUS 1207.
EMUS 3217 - Chamber Singers
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2024
CU's premiere choral ensemble, The CU Chamber Singers, is comprised of auditioned graduate and undergraduate singers. Chamber Singers has been cited with critical acclaim for its performances and sings classically based literature from all cultures and style periods. Members are selected by audition at the beginning of each academic year. Degree credit not granted for this course and EMUS 1217 or 5217.
EMUS 3227 - University Choir
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
EMUS 3237 - Treble Chorus
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
This collaborative ensemble is devoted to the study and performance of wide-ranging voice-specific repertoire. This choir performs on campus and in the Boulder-area two to four times per semester. Audition required.
EMUS 3477 - Chamber Choir
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019
Study and performance of various vocal styles, including madrigals and vocal jazz, investigation of the challenges of music making in a small group choral setting. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours. Same as EMUS 1477 and EMUS 5477.
EMUS 5217 - Chamber Singers
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019
CU's premiere choral ensemble, The CU Chamber Singers, is comprised of auditioned graduate and undergraduate singers. Chamber Singers has been cited with critical acclaim for its performances and sings classically based literature from all cultures and style periods. Members are selected by audition at the beginning of each academic year. Degree credit not granted for this course and EMUS 1217 or 3217.
EMUS 5477 - Chamber Choir
Secondary Instructor
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Fall 2019
Study and performance of various vocal styles, including madrigals and vocal jazz, investigation of the challenges of music making in a small group choral setting. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours. Same as EMUS 1477 and EMUS 3477.
MUSC 3176 - Conducting 1
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2024
Introduces conducting and rehearsal techniques. Offered fall only.
MUSC 3186 - Conducting II
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2023
Introduces conducting and rehearsal techniques. Offered spring only.
MUSC 5156 - Symposium in Choral Music
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019
Provides an advanced study of choral repertoire by style period. Required of all choral graduate students for a minimum of two semesters.
