Daniel Alexander Wins First Place in Flute Competition
Daniel Alexander won first place out of 73 entrants at the 24th Annual Texas Flute Society’s Myrna W. Brown Artist Competition in Denton, Texas on May 22, 2009. Mr. Alexander is a doctoral candidate from the studio of Aralee Dorough.
The Texas Flute Society is organized for the purpose and objectives as follows: to further the activities and education of flutists in North Central Texas; to sponsor concerts, workshops, clinics, master classes, and festivals at which members and guest artists can perform and disseminate information, and; to direct our efforts toward cultural and educational values in and for the general community, striving for activities with a public interest wider than that of members and contributors. The Texas Flute Society is organized exclusively for charitable, educational purposes.
McDaniel Wins First Place in National Choral Competition
Gregory McDaniel won first place out of 150 entrants at the American Choral Directors Association National Undergraduate Conducting Competition in Oklahoma City on March 6, 2009. Mr. McDaniel is an undergraduate vocal music education student from the studios of Betsy Weber and Timothy Jones.
Founded in 1959, the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) is a nonprofit music-education organization whose central purpose is to promote excellence in choral music through performance, composition, publication, research, and teaching. In addition, ACDA strives through arts advocacy to elevate choral music's position in American society.
Robinson and Ortiz Win First and Second Place in Organ Competition
Daryl Robinson and Jose Reyes Ortiz won first and second place, respectively, at the 38th Annual William C. Hall Pipe Organ Competition in San Antonio on March 7, 2009. Both undergraduate students are from the studio of Robert Bates.
The William C. Hall Pipe Organ Competition was founded as the "San Antonio Pipe Organ Competition" in 1970 at University Presbyterian Church, largely through the efforts of Mr. Hall who originally conceived it out of his great love of church music. His purpose was to ensure the future of organ music by encouraging the study of organ by students who would later become professional organists in churches. Following his death, as a tribute to him, the title of the competition was officially changed in 1986 to reflect his name.
The full-day competition is held each Spring in the sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio and has gained a reputation as one of the most outstanding organ competitions in the country. Contestants of both graduate and undergraduate status are limited to organ students from Texas universities.
Zhu First UH Undergraduate to Receive Prestigious Marshall Scholarship
Jessica Zhu is the first UH undergraduate to receive the Marshall Scholarship presented by the Marshall Commission. This 2009 scholarship entitles her to a full two-year graduate scholarship beginning next fall to the Guildhall School of Music in London. Ms. Zhu is a senior piano major from the studio of Nancy Weems.
Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Up to forty scholars are selected each year to study at the graduate level at an UK institution in any field of study.
As future leaders, with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American people, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging, and their time as scholars enhances their intellectual and personal growth. Their direct engagement with Britain through its best academic programs contributes to their ultimate personal success.
Alejandro Wins First Place and Grand Prize in Vocal Competition
 Desiree Alejandro, soprano, won both first place in the vocal division and the overall Grand Prize from among the eight finalists in the 25th Annual Young Texas Artist Music Competition held on March 14th in the historic Crighton Theatre in Conroe, Texas. Ms. Alejandro is a Master’s student from the studio of Cynthia Clayton.
The competition was created in 1983 by the Montgomery County Performing Arts Society and, for the past 10 years, has been sponsored by Entergy Texas. Those who compete are either enrolled in the study of classical music in Texas music schools or are residents of Texas who are pursuing such study elsewhere. The competition's four divisions are piano, voice, strings, and an area that includes wind, brass, percussion, harp, and guitar.
Welcome
 Welcome to the University of Houston's Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music, proudly a part of one of the leading urban state-supported universities in the nation. Whatever your focus, we are an exciting place to further your musical training in the new millennium. The Moores School boasts an extraordinary faculty of internationally recognized artist/teachers, composers, music educators, and music historians and theorists. We offer a variety of strong programs leading to the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees, as well as the Doctor of Musical Arts.
In Houston, you can gain exposure to the great artists and performers of the world in a city that boasts a major orchestra, opera company, ballet and theater organizations, as well as many other flourishing arts groups. Equally impressive is our record of student success. Our former students can be found on the rosters of groups that perform on nearly every stage in the world. Many of our students have gone on to become great teachers and educators at every level. You are invited to explore on our web site the many offerings and opportunities available. You'll be glad you did!
With best wishes,
David Ashley White, Director
 Mission Statement
To provide an outstanding comprehensive music education on the undergraduate and graduate levels, overseen by a faculty and staff second-to-none; to continue to develop recognition of the school at the local, national, and international levels in order to attract students of the highest caliber; and to provide the university community and the city with the highest quality performances that will both educate and entertain.
Show/hide more »
Goals
To develop and maintain a major center of music learning and performance with an international reputation for quality and artistic achievement;
To offer baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degree programs that prepare performers, composers, conductors, music educators, and scholars to meet the highest professional standards and to produce graduates who are able to meet the musical needs of our community and country;
To increase students' knowledge of music history, ethnomusicology, theory, pedagogy, and performance practice and to provide a thorough education using varied technologies, materials, and methodologies in developing their various skills;
To provide an opportunity for the study and performance of music by non-music major UH students. This includes a strong music component to meet various CORE requirements of University of Houston curricula;
To present faculty and student programs on campus, in the community, throughout the region, and across the nation, creating opportunities for exposure to and performance of diverse repertories;
To encourage creativity, innovation, and experimentation in the composition, performance, and teaching of music;
To maintain and further develop high-level performance ensembles that meet our students' needs, expand their horizons, and offer support to the university as a whole, including ensembles that support the university's intercollegiate athletic activities and that serve as role models for our music education students;
To recruit and retain a first-class faculty based on expectations of strong teaching ability, collegiality, and the highest level of professional achievement including performance and scholarly research;
To establish programs of cooperation among Houston's professional performing arts organizations, public schools, community colleges and other segments of the professional music community; and, inspired by the newly established Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, seek additional campus opportunities for interdisciplinary programs;
To provide broadly based educational opportunities in music for non-university students, from early childhood through adulthood, through our Music Preparatory and Continuing Studies Program;
To support the School's artistic and programmatic goals through steady increase of the School's endowment.
About us
 The Moores School of Music's commitment to academic excellence and the highest performance standards has made the institution a vital resource in the educational and cultural life of this city. With its 80-member faculty and more than 600 music majors, the Moores School of Music's thriving programs place it in the forefront of music schools today. With the addition of its beautiful, new, state-of-the-art Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music building, the school is uniquely poised to be a vanguard institution for the twenty-first century.
Although the primary mission of the Moores School is to educate and train professional performers and teachers, the school also serves the community at large with its public concerts and class offerings. The Moores School division of Preparatory and Continuing Studies is a multi-faceted program which provides private and classroom instruction to all ages.
Undergraduate and graduate degrees through the doctoral level are offered in theory, performance, composition, music history, pedagogy, conducting, and music education. Through the excellence of its curriculum, the distinction of its faculty, the success of its graduates, and its alliances with the city's esteemed arts organizations - the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Society for the Performing Arts, and others - the school enjoys a reputation which brings students to Houston from throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Mexico, South and Central America, and the Far East.
As 80 percent of the university's music graduates remain in this area, it is readily apparent that the Moores School of Music provides a major infusion of superbly trained musicians into professional performance organizations, churches, public and private schools, and studios—indeed, into every aspect of the city's musical life. The Moores School of Music is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music and the Texas Association of Music Schools.
| Upscale Weekly |
The weekly newsletter of the Moores School of Music |
| The Moores Society |
Moores School of Music development |
Preparatory and
Continuing Studies |
Our
non-credit, non-degree-granting program
serving students of all ages.
|
| Audio clip gallery |
Audio clips of Moores School ensemble, faculty, and student performances |
| Art Collections |
Information on work of Frank Stella, Ary Stillman, and others housed in the Moores Opera House |
| City of Houston |
Links to Houston-related information, including dining, entertainment, traffic, weather, and sports. |
Join our mailing list
Click here to join the Moores School of Music mailing list.
When you sign up to be added to the Moores School of Music mailing list, you will receive our comprehensive Fall and Spring concert calendars, as well as announcements of special concerts and events. We also send occasional reminders or notices of special opportunities via email.
Contact us
Moores School of Music and University of Houston offices, phone numbers, email addresses, and web sites
|
This international singing summit will indeed be a first for the university’s chorale, but the student vocalists remain undaunted as they will be judged against thousands of competing groups. As they prepare to travel to the competition, the Concert Chorale gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Continental Airlines. (Mike Emery)