Name: The Singing Statesmen 60th Anniversary Concert
Start: 2026-04-25T19:30:00-05:00
Location: Haas Fine Arts Center - UW

The Singing Statesmen 60th Anniversary Concert

The University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire Department of Music and Theatre Arts presents a performance in Gantner Concert Hall at the Haas Fine Arts Center (121 Water Street Eau Claire, WI 54703) Doors open 15 minutes before start time. Visit linktr.ee/uwecmta to find ticketing and livestreams links, information on upcoming events, donation options, and more!
Interested in joining the alumni choir or donating? Sign up at this link:
https://blugolds.uwec.edu/event/2026-singing-statesmen-60th-anniversary/e758997
From the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, The Singing Statesmen celebrates their 60th Season in 2025-2026 as one of the premier university tenor-bass choruses in the United States. This auditioned choir represents diverse academic disciplines with a common respect and admiration for choral music. The creed upheld by the membership is “Pride and Sensitivity,” words which inhabit their singing and the way they carry themselves on and off the stage. The Singing Statesmen are proud of their tradition of performing choral music representing repertoire from the Renaissance through the present.
The ensemble was established in 1966 by Morris D. Hayes, who sought to create an outstanding choral ensemble for male voices. The ensemble has been directed by five conductors: Morris D. Hayes from 1966 to 1987; Bruce G. McInnes from 1988 to 1990; Gary R. Schwartzhoff from 1991 to 2016; Elizabeth Joosten from 2016 to 2019; Christopher G. McGinley from 2019 to 2025; and Kristie Halverson from 2025 to the present. The Singing Statesmen is one of six choral ensembles on the UW-Eau Claire campus recognized as “Wisconsin’s Singing University.”
The history of The Singing Statesmen is rich with noted performances, both at home and abroad, including two main season concerts and one Midwest tour each year. The Statesmen performed at the 2008 National Convention of the National Association for Music Education and at the 1983 and 2003 National Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). The Statesmen hosted the Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses, Inc. National Seminar in 1996 and 2006. In 1998, 2000, 2008, and 2014, The Singing Statesmen performed at ACDA Divisional Conventions around the Midwest. Additionally, the ensemble performed at the Wisconsin Music Educators Convention in 1998, 2004, and 2010. The Singing Statesmen have toured internationally to Portugal (2014) and Central Europe (2018). In 2016, The Singing Statesmen had the honor of performing at the Intercollegiate Male Choruses National Conference. In April 2022, the ensemble headlined The Associated Choruses of America’s Big Sing, and in October they performed live on KSMQ Public Television (Austin, MN), a performance later broadcast throughout Minnesota. In spring 2023, they were invited to perform at the IMC National Seminar to represent UW-Eau Claire, and they were proud to appear in February 2024 at the Minnesota Music Educators Association Midwinter Convention. The Singing Statesmen have released nine recordings during their history including: 25th Anniversary; Musick; Volume 3; 2002 European Tour; At The Ball; An American Journey; 2004 WMEA Convention; A Testament; and Take Up The Song.