Voice at UTEP
Degrees Offered
UNDERGRADUATE:
- Bachelor of Music in Performance
- Bachelor of Music in Music Education
- Bachelor of Music in Commercial Music
GRADUATE:
- Master of Music in Performance
- Master of Music in Education
For more information on degrees, ensembles and complete curricular handbooks, visit our Undergraduate Programs page and our Graduate Programs page.
Classical Voice
UTEP boasts a world-class voice faculty and offers students a variety of courses that promote a strong technical and pedagogical foundation.
Students have access to a number of performing opportunities including several choral groups, Opera Workshop, weekly area recitals, studio classes and guest artist master classes.
Choirs
UTEP’s choirs include Men and Women’s Glee Clubs, Concert Chorale and Chamber Singers. In 2015 and 2017, the UTEP Chamber Singers traveled to Leeds, England, where they were in residence in the cathedral for a week. In 2014, UTEP students and faculty were part of the Opera Bhutan project which joined international soloists in the Kingdom of Bhutan to perform Handel’s Acis and Galatea, marking the first time a Western opera had been performed in that country. The Chamber Singers will again return to England in the fall of 2019.
Opera
Students in the Opera Workshop class produce shows in the fall and spring. Scenes from lyric theater (including opera, operetta, zarzuela and musical theater) as well as one-act and full-length operas are produced, according to the needs and abilities of the students enrolled in the class. Opera UTEP singers have performed as chorus members and in small roles with El Paso Opera. Additionally, they have performed as soloists with El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras, on faculty concerts, and various outreach events throughout El Paso.
Commercial Music
The commercial vocalist at UTEP is taught a strong foundation in classical voice in addition to learning to sing a variety of commercial styles. As their study progresses, their repertoire is further geared toward the individual's commercial strengths. Additionally, all commercial music majors take courses in music technology, music business, commercial arranging, improvisation, and courses in
Voice Faculty
- Elisa Fraser Wilson, D.M.A., Area Coordinator and Director of Choral Activities
- Cherry Duke, A.D., Director of Opera UTEP, Applied Voice
- Brian Downen, M.M., Applied Voice, Director of Men's Glee Club, DIction
- Diana Esparza, M.M., Applied Voice, Class Voice, Diction
- Phillip Hill, D.M.A., Applied Voice, Vocal Pedagogy, Song Literature
- Alexander Kariotis, M.M., Applied Voice, Commercial Music
Should you have questions about the voice area, please feel free to contact any faculty member, or Dr. Elisa Fraser Wilson, Voice Area Coordinator: ewilson@utep.edu.
Special Projects
UTEP All-State Choir Camp
Join other talented singers in a fun-filled week of activities geared toward learning the Texas All-State literature. Held every July. Click here for more information, and/or contact Dr. Elisa Fraser Wilson.
UTEP Song Festival
A day of learning for El Paso area high school vocal soloists, held each fall. Click here for more information, and/or contact Prof. Brian Downen.