The Collage of Choirs will feature all four ISU choirs–Lyrica, Cantamus, Iowa Statesmen and Iowa State Singers– Sunday at 3 p.m. at C.Y. Stephens Auditorium.

This annual concert starts off the fall semester with a taste of what each choir offers. Students may purchase tickets for $5, and tickets are $10 for the public. Tickets are available at the Stephens Auditorium Box Office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

In this nationally-recognized choral program, nearly 400 ISU students take part in choir each year. Participants represent nearly all academic disciplines and majors, while 80 percent of the singers are non-music majors and are mostly undergraduates.

Lyrica Women’s Choir, directed by Kathleen Rodde, is an all-women’s choir, known for having nearly 100 voices. Rodde has been a conductor, accompanist and presenter at the regional and national Academic Choral Director’s Association (ACDA) and has served as the North Central Division American Choral Directors Association (NC-ACDA) repertoire and standards chair for women’s choirs.

Also under direction of Rodde, Cantamus Women’s Choir features 70 select voices and is a nationally-recognized ensemble that requires a high proficiency level in musical skills. Members of Cantamus are selected by audition and share an enthusiasm for new and challenging repertoire, along with a love for adventurous programming. It annually presents a four-concert season, which includes a tour and a choral orchestral Masterworks Concert. 

The Iowa Statesmen is ISU’s popular ensemble of about 130 male voices. Under direction of James Rodde, the group specializes in the performance of traditional and contemporary male chorus literature and gives various performances during the year. The Statesmen join the three other choirs to present both the Holiday Concert and the Masterworks Concert with orchestra perform together with them every year.

Iowa State Singers is Iowa State’s most selective choral ensemble, directed by James, who is the Louise Moen Endowed Chair in music and director of choral activities at Iowa State University. He also teaches choral conducting and literature, which is made up of the university’s finest singers. Music of all styles is performed with an emphasis on the great a cappella works. Performances include the Fall and Spring Concerts, the December Holiday Concert, and the Masterworks Concert where selected choir members get opportunities to sing as solo artists with orchestra. The group has performed throughout North America as well as in England, Poland, Russia, Australia, Scandinavia, the Baltic States, China and Korea.

In addition to performing various local concerts, the Singers tour annually and present an authentic Madrigal Dinner every January. Every spring they perform a masterwork program with all ISU choirs, most recently Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah, and Brahms’ Requiem.

For more information about this year’s Collage of Choirs concert, visit the ISU Department of Music’s website.