Overview
At Colorado State University, student singers become exceptional musicians by participating in choral ensembles where they sing core repertoire of choral canon from a range of eras. The ensembles are open to all CSU students, regardless of major; however, an audition is required for select groups.
The entire music faculty encourages student participation in choir; the best musician-singers in the music program sing in the top choirs resulting in a balance of graduate vocal majors and undergraduate music majors throughout.
The CSU choral program is established on a national level through appearances at multiple conferences such as the National Collegiate Choral Organization, the American Choral Directors Association, the Aspen Music Festival, the Steamboat Springs Strings Festival, and the Colorado Music Educators Association.
The CSU choirs perform locally many times each academic year including traditional choral concerts and large-scale works with the University Symphony Orchestra, as well as at special events such as CSU Founder’s Day at the state capital. Internationally, the choirs have traveled to Asia and Europe on numerous occasions. Additionally, CSU choirs embark on regional recruiting and outreach tours, performing at high schools, churches, and other notable venues.
Study With

Nathan Payant
- Instructor of Music
- Administrative Coordinator of Music Education
- Director of Concert Choir
(970) 491-2346
Events

Spring 2025 Student Recitals / FREE

2025 Middle School Outreach Ensembles (MSOE)

Virtuoso Series Concert: Ysmael Reyes, Flute, and Jooyeon Chang, Piano

Guest Artist Concert: Susanne Hou, Violin

Cello Studio Recital / FREE

The Pirates of Penzance with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W.S. Gilbert

Flute Studio Recital / FREE

The Pirates of Penzance with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W.S. Gilbert

Guest Artist Concert: Mauricio Nader, Piano

Guest Artist Concert: Madeleine Jansen, Violin / FREE

Virtuoso Series Concert: Patricia Goble, Soprano

Jazz Combos Concert Part I

Virtuoso Series Concert: Ron Francois, Violin and Mauricio Nader, Piano

2025 Rocky Mountain Saxophone Summit

2025 Rocky Mountaint Saxophone Summit "Potpourri" Concert / FREE

CSU Trombone Choir and NoCo Bones Concert / FREE

Classical Convergence Series: Imani Winds & Boston Brass

Trumpet Studio Recital / FREE

Virtuoso Series Concert: Forest Greenough, Bass, and Sphere Ensemble

Voice Area Recital / FREE

Woodwinds Chamber Ensemble Concert I / FREE

Brass Area Chamber Music Concert / FREE

Guest Artist Concert: Nicholas Gledhill, Horn / FREE

Jazz Combos Concert Part II

Woodwinds Chamber Ensemble Concert II / FREE

All Choral Showcase: Unclouded Day

Student Chamber Music Recital / FREE

Wind Symphony Concert: The Road is Life

CSU Percussion Ensemble Festival Concert / FREE

Saxophone Studio Recital / FREE

University Symphony Orchestra Concert: Coming Home- A Side-By-Side with NoCoYo (Folk Tales and New Worlds)

Graduate String Quartet Concert / FREE

Virtuoso Series Concert: Faculty Chamber Music

Jazz Ensembles Concert: Roy Haynes Legacy Concert

Keyboard Area Recital / FREE

Symphonic Band Concert

Double Reed Studio Recital / FREE

CSU World Percussion Ensemble Festival Concert

Trombone Studio Recital / FREE

Concert Band Concert: Passions / FREE

Concert Orchestra Concert: Master of Tuplets (Bach’s Revenge) / FREE

2025 CSU Percussion Camp

2025 CSU Organ Week

2025 Summer Voice Intensive

2025 CSU Jazz Summer Workshop

2025 Colorado Harp Seminar

2025 Colorado Harp Seminar

2025 Summer Conducting: Seminar for Music Educators

2025 2025 Colorado Kodály Institute: Summer Residency
2024 Colorado Cello Intensive

2025 International Keyboard Odyssiad® and Festival, U.S.A.
News
The Colorado Music Educators Association clinic conference will take place online for 2021. Information about registering for the annual conference is available at cmeaonline.org. CSU music education graduate student Christina Herman has been selected to present a session titled: Student Perceptions of Online Peer Learning in Preservice Music Teacher Education: Motivation, Social-Emotional Learning, and Classroom Climate […]
In November, Colorado State University vocal students participated in the 2020 West Central Regional Student Auditions for the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS); the 58th annual competition for Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas vocalists was held via video submission for 2020. Founded in 1944, NATS is the largest professional association of teachers of singing in […]
Ensembles
Chamber Choir (MU 400)
Under the direction of Dr. James Kim, this top-select ensemble of 24–32 singers perform a variety of a cappella and accompanied repertoire. Objectives include ensemble precision with sensitivity to blending and intonation, demonstrating both healthy vocal production and sophisticated musical knowledge.
The Chamber Choir has been featured at many honor festivals, conventions, and workshops, including the International Sacred Choral Music Festival and Changwon Grand-Prix Choral Festival & Competition in Korea, appearances at National Collegiate Choral Organization conferences for a feature performance conducted by Bach specialist Helmuth Rilling. They've been featured at the ACDA Regional Conference in Denver, Colorado.
- Audition required - open to all CSU students
- Rehearses: M/W/F, 1-2:25 p.m., Runyan Rehearsal Hall, G 122
- Director: Dr. James Kim
Concert Choir (MU 305)
The Concert Choir is an auditioned ensemble of 40-50 undergraduate and graduate students from all degree paths at CSU. Half of the students pursue majors other than music and represent members of top high school choral programs from across the country and multiple all-state ensembles. The Concert Choir performs music from across the spectrum of choral repertoire, including masterworks by major composers from the early Renaissance through the Nineteenth Century, and new repertoire from some of today's top names in choral composition. The Concert Choir has collaborated with prominent composers such as Ola Gjeilo, Joshua Shank, and Paul Carey in recent performances. It frequently combines with the CSU Chamber Choir and Symphony Orchestra to perform such masterworks as The Yellow River Cantata by Xian Xinghai (performed in Mandarin Chinese), Mozart's Requiem and Grand Mass in C Minor, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. The Concert Choir regularly performs in concert on campus and in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado venues.
- Audition required - open to all CSU students
- Rehearses: M/W/F, 2:40-4 p.m., Runyan Rehearsal Hall, G 122
- Director: Dr. Nathan Payant
University Chorus (MU 202)
The University Chorus (MU 202) is open to all CSU students and is the largest and most diverse choir on campus with 100+ singers. Emphasis is placed on the basics of beautiful, healthy vocal technique for the enjoyment of singing. The University Chorus performs a variety of music spanning history, culture, and language, including Renaissance madrigals, classical works, jazz tunes, world music, spirituals, and contemporary pieces.
- No audition required: register and show up
- Rehearses: T/TR, 5:30-7 p.m., Runyan Rehearsal Hall, G 122
- Director: Dr. Seth Pendergast