Jerry McCoy
A Cappella Choir, Grand Chorus
/ (940) 369-8389
Dr. Jerry McCoy is in his twelfth year as Director of Choral Studies and Regents Professor of Music at the University of North Texas, the nation’s largest college of music, where he conducts the internationally renowned A Cappella Choir, the North Texas Chamber Choir, and the Grand Chorus; teaches graduate choral conducting and advanced choral techniques; and guides the choral studies program. He is the national immediate past- president and sitting vice-president of the American Choral Directors Association, a member of the INTERKULTUR international advisory board, and a member of the editorial board of the Choral Scholar. He is in his fourth season as Music Director of Schola Cantorum of Texas, one of the foremost volunteer choruses in Texas. For six years he was founder/music director of the Texas Choral Artist, a professional chamber choir based in Dallas, Texas.
The Dallas Morning News had this to say about UNT’s performances of the Verdi Requiem in April 2010, “There was an amazing performance of the Verdi Requiem Sunday afternoon…The thrilling sound of the chorus was no surprise. Professor Jerry McCoy has made the school (UNT) a choral Mecca.”
Dr. McCoy is one of America’s most well-respected choral conductors, having conducted all-state, regional, festival and performance clinics in thirty-seven states across the nation. In January 2011, he served as headliner for the Korean Federation for Choral Music national conference held in Kweongju, South Korea. He has been a guest conductor for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the New England Symphonic Ensemble, the Texas Camerata, the renowned Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Anyang (Korea) City Choir, the Incheon City Chorale (South Korea’s foremost professional choir), the Bucheon (Korea) Philharmonic Chorus, the Daegu (Korea) City Choir, the Wichita (Kansas) Chamber Chorale, and the Wichita Falls (Texas) Symphony Orchestra. He has served as guest clinician/conductor in Austria, China, Great Britain, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Guest engagements for 2010-2012 include appearances in Austria, China, South Korea (professional choirs in Bucheong and Daejon), Taiwan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Washington, and Texas.
He sang and recorded with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers in New York City and throughout southern France, and with the Banff (Canada) Festival Chamber Choir led by distinguished Swedish conductor Eric Ericson. His Choirs have given concerts with the Dallas Wind Symphony, the Abilene Symphony Orchestra, the Richardson Symphony Orchestra, the Schola Cantorum Festival Orchestra, and numerous university orchestras.
Dr. McCoy’s UNT A Cappella Choir was the featured choir for the 9th International Taipei Choral Festival in 2009. Since coming to UNT, his A Cappella Choir has twice been honored with invitations to sing for TMEA (2004 and 2010). Other distinguished appearances by his choirs include refereed performances for the national conventions of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (2008); the American Choral Directors Association (2005, 1999, 1997); the Association of British Choral Directors (2000); and MENC (1992). In 2004 he led a session for TCDA with the Texas Choral Artists concerning music of South America. Under his leadership, the Schola Cantorum of Texas sang an invited performance for the state meeting of TCDA in July 2011.
His choirs have toured Europe three times, giving concerts at the Salzburger Dom, St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Dublin), St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral (London), Chester Cathedral (Chester) and St. Nicolas Church (Prague). His commercial recordings include releases by Klavier Records and GIA Music Publications.
Dr. McCoy holds advanced degrees in choral conducting from The University of Texas at Austin, including a certificate in voice performance, and an undergraduate degree in choral music education from the University of Texas at Arlington. He has studied in conductor exchange programs in Venezuela, Sweden, and Germany and has attended master classes with Frieder Bernius and Eric Ericson. He is past national chairman of the College and University Repertoire and Standards Committee for the ACDA. He sang and recorded throughout the 1990’s with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers in New York City and across southern France, and with the Banff (Canada) Festival Chamber Choir led by distinguished Swedish conductor Eric Ericson.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY
Schola Cantorum of Texas and Texas Camerata
Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, review for the Fort Worth Star Telegram …It is a most pleasing partnership. …(McCoy’s) conducting style was tight and precise as he set just the right tempo for all the movements…The Cantorum presented the second half of the program. …McCoy became expressive and fluid, and the choir responded accordingly. He elicited some beautiful singing. From a review of Gloria in Excelsis Deo – A Gift of Music at Christmas (December 2010)
Schola Cantorum of Texas
Rob Laney, review for the Fort Worth Star Telegram …The a cappella power of this ensemble was never more evident than on Hard Times, a Craig Hella Johnson arrangement of a Stephen Foster tune. Its lingering sorrow grew more poignant with every refrain of "Oh, hard times come again no more," (a worthy title for the choir's 48th season). The anguishing harmonies were so expertly executed that the audience was struck mute for long seconds after the final notes. From a review of Songs of Love and Loss (October 2010)
UNT Grand Chorus and Symphony Orchestra
Scott Cantrell, music critic, Dallas Morning News There was an amazing performance of the Verdi Requiem Sunday afternoon…The thrilling sound of the chorus was no surprise. Professor Jerry McCoy has made the school (UNT) a choral Mecca. From a review of the Verdi Requiem, (April 2010)
Schola Cantorum of Texas
Chris Shull, Music Critic, Fort Worth Star Telegram and DFW.com …the choir sang with lush, polished harmonies. Melodies were contoured to give the music movement and lilt. …During Tarik O'Regan's The Ecstasies Above (2007) the choir created taut, atmospheric harmonies of scintillating light; as the men sang deep, languid chords the women traced wheeling melodies high above. An octet of solo voices wove silvery strands of sound… (April 2010)
The UNT A Cappella Choir, Chamber Choir and Schola Cantorum of Texas
Scott Cantrell, Music Critic, The Dallas Morning News * *Orff’s Carmina Burana, Dallas Wind Symphony and Chorus, Jerry McCoy Chorus Master “…But what was really amazing was the taut, powerful singing of the Schola Cantorum of Texas, the A Cappella and Chamber Choirs from the University of North Texas, Southern Methodist University's Meadows Chorale and the Texas Boys Choir.” (September 2009) This concert was listed as one of the top ten classical performances of 2009 by the Dallas Morning News.
The Schola Cantorum of Texas
Chris Schull, Music Critic, Fort Worth Star Telegram Mozart: Coronation Mass and Haydn: Missa in Tempora Belli “The Schola Cantorum, a choir of 60 voices, joined by four soloists and a chamber orchestra, gave a spirited performance under the assured direction of Jerry McCoy. The choir sounded full, articulate and well-blended…” (April 2009)
UNT A Cappella Choir/Collegium Singers
Scott Cantrell, Music Critic, The Dallas Morning News Handel's Saul, UNT A Cappella Choir, Collegium Singers and UNT Baroque Orchestra, Jerry McCoy Chorus Master …The real star of the show was the chorus, combining the Collegium Singers and A Cappella Choir and prepared by Jerry McCoy. The sound was bold, clear and pliant, the singing unfailingly precise. Plenty of choral directors would sell their souls for that turbo-charged tenor section. (February 2009)
The UNT Grand Chorus
Scott Cantrell, Music Critic, The Dallas Morning News
Prokovief’s Alexander Nevsky, The UNT Grand Chorus and Symphony Orchestra
… the UNT Grand Chorus, prepared by Jerry McCoy, was fabulous: firm, focused, fine-tuned and genuinely exciting. (April 2008)
Texas Choral Artists and Texas Camerata
Matthew Erickson, Music Critic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Bach Mass on B Minor; Texas Choral Artists and Texas Camerata; Jerry McCoy, conductor Collaboration on Bach's Mass is sublime… ...the most affecting moment was in the Crucifixus, which included leading the ensemble in a gorgeously shaped concluding decrescendo. It brought tears to the eyes. The choristers sang with a beautifully rounded tone and an alert attention to detail that would become the performance's hallmarks. (September 2006) This concert was listed in the top three classical concerts of the season by the Fort Worth star telegram.
University of North Texas A Cappella Choir
Stan Schmidt, Collegium Records USA "…this listener is completely overwhelmed. It is hard to come up with words to describe the sound of (McCoy’s) choir because one wants to use the best words to speak about the best." From a Review of Imaginings, a new compact disc by the UNT A Cappella Choir (January 2005)
Texas Choral Artists
Scott Cantrell, Music Critic, The Dallas Morning News "…Jerry McCoy had his 23 voices singing with fine focus and expressive finesse…" (May 2005)
Scott Cantrell, Music Critic, The Dallas Morning News …The (Texas Choral Artists) produced a solid, well-balanced, satin-finished sound. … There was a good, wide dynamic range and considerable expressive sophistication. It was an evening of quite accomplished choral singing."(May 2003)
Olin Chisolm, Music Critic, The Dallas Morning News "…With heartening vocal purity and precision of tone –qualities in evidence throughout the evening --the Texas Choral Artists gave a haunting performance of Rachmaninnoff’s Blazhen muzh." (February 2002)
Olin Chisolm, Music Critic, The Dallas Morning News …(This) Chorus sings from the soul. (May 2004)
Schola Cantorum of Texas
Wayne Lee Gay, Music Critic, Fort Worth Star Telegram "…McCoy opened by impressively focusing on unaccompanied music of the 20th century. The whole first half presented the 61-voice ensemble not so much as a choir of voices but as a sort of virtuosic instrument, capable of a huge range of colors and effects." (May 2001)
Santa Fe Desert Chorale
Craig Smith, Music Critic, The Santa Fe New Mexican …The (Santa Fe) Desert Chorale's Songs of the Feminine ...proved to be effective, thoughtfully programmed, and nicely performed. Under guest conductor Jerry McCoy, the Chorale continued to demonstrate the excellent blend and musicianship that are making this 15th anniversary season a pleasure.”Performances of individual pieces were called "... powerful...vivid...wonderful...well-performed. From a review of Songs of the Feminine – concerts given throughout the 1997 summer season, Santa Fe, New Mexico (August 1997)
Norma Lynn and John Seagrave, Music Critics, Arts Alive and Well! …This was a program rich in scope, given by a hard-working, disciplined chorus singing very juicy, substantive material, with much musical and vocal nuance. Dr. McCoy and the (Santa Fe) Desert Chorale can be proud of a sensational program. ...Stabat Mater Dolorosa, by Norwegian Trond Kverno...let out all the stops with rich, interesting harmonies, contrasts, exciting drama, and volume. From a Review of Songs of the Feminine, prepared for their weekly cable program Arts Alive and Well, Albuquerque, New Mexico (October 1997)
