David Rayl

Choral Union

David Rayl is professor of music, director of choral programs and associate dean for graduate studies and research at the Michigan State University College of Music.

Prior to joining MSU in 2002, he held the same position at the University of Missouri-Columbia for 12 years. He conducted the University Singers and Choral Union, and taught in the undergraduate and graduate conducting programs.

Under his direction, University Singers sang at the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) in 1995. In May 1998, the ensemble appeared, by invitation, at the 27th annual Florilège Vocal in Tours, France, where it was one of five choirs to advance to the final round in the Mixed Chorus Division. In May 2000, the Singers undertook a concert tour in Italy, performing in Sorrento, Rome, Florence (at the international music festival Maggio Musicale Fiorentino), Venice, and Bergamo.

Rayl has appeared as guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout the United States. He has conducted workshops at the VanderCook College of Music in Chicago; University of Southern Mississippi; Columbus State University and Augusta College in Georgia; University of Central Oklahoma; Drake University in Iowa; the North Central Division Convention of ACDA; the Iowa, Mississippi, and Wisconsin Choral Directors Associations; and has led high school honor choirs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Iowa, Drake University, and Chadron State College in Nebraska.

His international engagements include the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria; the V Festival di Musica Antica in Urbino, Italy; the VII Festival Internaçional de Música de Camera do Pará, in Belem, Brazil; the II Festival de Corais in Brasilia, Brazil; the Painel Unicanto de Regencia Coral in Londrina, Brazil; and the Classical Music Festival in Montreal and Quebec City, Canada.

Several of Rayl's articles and reviews have appeared in the "Choral Journal" and "The Journal of the Conductors' Guild." His editions of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Nine Settings of the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary were published by A-R Editions of Madison, Wisconsin.

Rayl has also taught at Marymount College in Salina, Kansas, and St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He is the former music director of the Chamber Singers of Iowa City (1985-1990), and the Quad City Mozart Festival (1987-97). He received particular notice for his performances of the choral, operatic, and orchestral repertoire of the 18th century, especially the works of Bach and Mozart.

In 1993, Rayl received the Provost's Outstanding Junior Faculty award, recognizing teaching excellence among young faculty members at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In April 1996, he was named one of 10 recipients of the prestigious William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. In addition, Rayl is past-president of the Missouri Choral Directors Association.

Rayl holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice from Illinois Wesleyan University; a Master of Music from the University of Oklahoma; and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Iowa.