“Transforming Passion Into Purpose”
The Central Washington University Chamber Choir carries a tradition of excellence and embraces innovation of choral performance in the 21st century. Under the leadership of Dr. Nicole Lamartine since 2022, the Chamber Choir was selected as one of six choirs in the US to premiere the 2024 Brock Commission at NW ACDA in 2024 and was a featured performance choir for the state music educators conference. Since 2022, Chamber Choir has premiered works by André Thomas, Jason Harris, Christian Grases, and Forrest Pierce. The choir prides itself on a strong tradition of mentorship. We host four festivals per year for high school choirs and host another dozen schools each year for clinics and exchanges. Our alumni amplify our continued foundation of excellence, access, and building a sense of belonging in the choral art.
Dr. NICOLE C. LAMARTINE
Nicole C. Lamartine creates innovative and engaging choral experiences as the Director of Choirs at Central Washington University. She conducts the flagship CWU Chamber Choir, integrates 21st century relevancy into MM choral studies, and teaches conducting, voice, and music education. She has conducted over twenty All-State, international, and ACDA honor choirs, and her own ensembles have appeared on ACDA, NAfME, and NCCO regional and national conferences. A passionate advocate for choral music education, she has headlined choral conferences in Hong Kong and Costa Rica, and in seven US states. Previous posts include the University of Northern Iowa (2003-2006), the University of Wyoming (2008-2020) and University of California, Santa Barbara (2020-2022). Lamartine conducts Chor Anno, comprised of choral music educators, and she is the Founder of the Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus. She is a Past-President of Northwest ACDA. The Nicole Lamartine series is published with Santa Barbara Music Press.
Light and Dark – possible concert selections
- Nox (from Illuminare) Elaine Hagenberg
- Dance of Zálongo Traditional Greek, Arr. Carol Barnett
- Salve Regina Franz Liszt
- and the swallow (Psalm 84) Caroline Shaw
- O lux beata Trinitas Ko Matsushita
- Bells (for Tamir Rice) Adrian Dunn
- Little Blue Jacob Collier, Arr. Ben Bram