Cal State Fullerton School of Music alumna Marie Bucoy-Calavan ’07, ’10 (B.A. music, M.M. performance) was appointed artistic director for The Choral Arts Society of Washington. The chorus, whose home performance venue is The Kennedy Center Concert Hall, is supported by DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs Program, and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts National Endowment for the Arts.
Founded in 1965, the mission of Choral Arts is to “reawaken capacity and awe through the power of choral music.” In a press statement announcing her arrival at the organization, Bucoy-Calavan remarked, “Our goals align beautifully,” and “Choral Arts is ready for a fresh perspective, and I believe I can deliver exactly what they need artistically. My experience, combined with the deep talent of Choral Arts’ singers, will captivate and inspire audiences.”
Bucoy-Calavan earned her B.A. in music in 2007 and M.A. in 2010 in choral conducting, where she studied under Rob Istad and served as graduate assistant conductor, later completing her Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. She has served as the director of choral studies at The University of Akron since 2014, where she conducts the choirs and teaches conducting and choral literature.
Last December, Bucoy-Calavan made her Choral Arts Society debut serving as guest conductor for its “O Night Divine!” Christmas performances. She and her family look forward to beginning their new adventures in Washington, D.C., when her official appointment at Choral Arts begins on Sept. 1, 2024.