Imig Music Building,听厂219
Elizabeth Swanson is associate director of choral activities at the University of Colorado Boulder. She conducts the CU Boulder Treble Chorus and University Choir which was founded in 1938 by Warner Imig, a former dean of the College of Music. A passionate educator, Swanson teaches courses in conducting at the undergraduate level and serves on master鈥檚 and doctoral committees. She is also the faculty advisor for CU Boulder鈥檚 student ACDA chapter. Swanson was awarded a competitive university-wide Provost鈥檚 Faculty Achievement Award (2024) acknowledging her contributions to CU Boulder through her scholarly and creative work, teaching, leadership and service. Additionally, Swanson oversaw the College of Music鈥檚 choral studies program as interim director of choral activities for four semesters (2018-19; 2024) during which she supervised all aspects of the program.
A sought-after guest conductor, pedagogue and presenter across the United States, Swanson has been a headliner conductor for two concerts at Carnegie Hall with the National Festival Chorus and National Octavo Chorus (2022 and 2024, respectively). She is regularly invited for guest residencies and to conduct festivals at leading higher education institutions such as Montana State University, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, University of Hawai鈥榠 at M膩noa and the University of Wyoming, to name a few. Closer to home, she is associate conductor of the Boulder-based professional choir Ars Nova Singers alongside its founding artistic director, Tom Morgan.
Swanson serves as the national co-chair of student activities for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Previously, she was on the Executive Board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO), serving as vice president (2020-2023), chief editor of publications (2019) and secretary (2016-2017). As NCCO鈥檚 vice president, she oversaw the National Board and was the inaugural chair of the organization鈥檚 first-ever Mission and Vision in Governance Committee whose primary purpose is to uphold principles of diversity, equity and inclusion within the NCCO.听
A professional ensemble mezzo-soprano, Swanson sings with the Ars Nova Singers when she isn鈥檛 on the podium. Previously, she was a member of the New York City-based professional choirs Manhattan Chorale and Chorale Le Ch芒teau (which included regular collaborations with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra). Swanson has also been a professional chorus member in the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Chicago-based Grant Park Chorus.
Prior to her appointment at CU Boulder, Swanson lived in New York City and was director of choirs at a liberal arts college, formerly known as Nyack College, in lower Manhattan. Under her direction, the Nyack College Chorale performed concerts in world-renowned venues such as David Geffen Hall (formerly Avery Fisher Hall) at Lincoln Center, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York and St. Paul鈥檚 Chapel at Trinity Church Wall Street, and toured domestically.
Swanson has also been a member of the conducting faculty at the University of Chicago, North Park University and Ithaca College and was a conductor of choral ensembles at Northwestern University and Roosevelt University (Chicago College of Performing Arts).
Swanson earned degrees from Northwestern University (DMus conducting), Ithaca College (MM conducting) and St. Olaf College (BME). Her dissertation was a qualitative analysis of 鈥淎ugust 4, 1964,鈥� an oratorio by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky with libretto by Gene Scheer.