Students Joined Through Song

Although they come from 34 different majors, when the 44-member Trinity University Chamber Singers perform together, music is their common discipline, and their practice is among the best in the nation.

In early March, the Chamber Singers harmonized at the Southwest American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, led by Director of Choral Activities Gary Seighman, D.M.A., and assisted by Music Professor Anna Osterman. The group was selected to perform through a blind, fiercely competitive process that draws submissions from universities in seven states, including major conservatories and music schools with graduate programs. In the last 40 years, only Trinity and a handful of other smaller institutions have earned this honor.

This conference joins the extensive list of prestigious national and international venues where the Trinity choir has performed, including its 2018 trip to Austria, 2022 Carnegie Hall performance, and 2024 trip to England and France. At Trinity, performances in these spaces are open to students of all majors-the only requirement is a passion for music.

"One of Chamber's strongest assets is having singers from all fields of study," says Ellie Gunnin '26, a human communication major with history and teaching minors who has been in the choir for four years. "I'm so thankful that Trinity has offered me so many creative opportunities despite not being a music major."

First-year neuroscience major Clara Rabago '29 agrees. "Experiences like this have inspired me in my extracurricular path because they show what a group of students-most of whom are not music majors-can do when we all share a love for music," says Rabago, who aspired to sing at ACDA since middle school.

Yet, ACDA presented Rabago with more than the challenge to impress on the stage. Because the conference was held the week before spring break, Rabago and a few other students had to take proctored STEM exams in the hotel dining areas before and after the performance. Together, they illustrated the drive typical of Trinity students to excel in both their academic and personal passions.

Punctuating the Chamber Singers' performance were soloists Matthew Payton '26, Isabel Elsisi '26, and Jose Aguirre '26, and the instrumentals of pianist Rabago, violinist Elanna Weber '28, and handbell player Camila Rodriguez '26. At the center of the program were pieces written by Grammy-nominated composer Benedict Sheehan, with texts by the poets Anthony Silvestri and Talia Maria-Sheehan.

The performance closed with a poignant song written by award-winning composer Dale Trumbore, who visited Trinity in February and worked with the choir on her piece. For this final song, Seighman joined the audience, and the choir performed without a conductor. Seighman says the audience watched on, hushed in surprise, before giving the choir a rousing standing ovation at the end of its program.

For Gunnin, this performance marked the pinnacle of her college experience. "The choir room has been one of my favorite places to be during my time at Trinity," she says. "I have grown so much in Chamber, and seen it evolve over time, so it was so special to perform at ACDA as one of my final performances. We worked on that set for years and finished with a performance we were all very proud of."

For first-year choral music education major Lukas Bauerkemper '29, the performance was a glimpse of his potential.

"Performing in front of some of the most influential musicians in America has put into perspective what I am capable of doing," Bauerkemper says. "It reinforced my decision to attend Trinity, as not many choir directors would allow freshmen to sing at such an important event. Dr. Seighman believes in all of us, and that means the world to me."