The Duquesne Choirs maintain an extensive performance agenda focused on artistic excellence, community partnership, and service to the University. Voices of Spirit and Pappert Chorale perform throughout Pittsburgh and the region, including recent collaborations with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, River City Brass Band, Arsenal Duo, Kassia Ensemble, and Pittsburgh Youth Chorus. Each Christmas, the choirs join forces with the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, and Jazz Ensemble for Christmas at Duquesne, the school’s largest public performance. The Duquesne choirs are open to all undergraduate and graduate music majors and to non-music majors with choral experience.
Voices of Spirit
Voices of Spirit is the Mary Pappert School of Music’s chamber and touring choir. Under the direction of Caron Daley since 2015, the choir is regularly invited to perform off-campus, including 2016, 2022, and 2024 performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, tours in 2017 (Pennsylvania), 2018 (New York), and 2020 (Ontario and Québec), and recent appearances in Johnstown, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo, and Philadelphia. In 2019, Voices of Spirit performed Canadian Mosaic at the National Collegiate Choral Organization Conference (College Park, Maryland) and in 2023, I will be your Refuge at the National Association for Music Education Eastern Division Conference (Rochester, NY). In November 2024, the choir performed Boundless Voices at the College Music Society National Conference (Washington, DC) and has been selected to perform at the 2026 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conference. Voices of Spirit recorded its first full-length album in 2023, Wake Up my Spirit, featuring repertoire inspired by the Spiritan traditions of the university.
Pappert Chorale
Under the leadership of Dr. Ethan Murphy since 2025, Pappert Chorale is a large mixed choir representing students in all music degree programs and majors from across the university. The choir performs music from a wide range of historical periods and styles and is regularly featured on Pittsburgh area concert series. Recent performance highlights include Hailstork’s I will lift up mine eyes (2022) and Poulenc’s Gloria (2024) with the Duquesne University Orchestra and Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass with Duquesne’s jazz program (2023).
