Elizabeth听Swanson
- Associate Professor of Conducting
- Associate Director, Choral Activities
- CONDUCTING
Elizabeth Swanson is the associate director of choral activities and associate professor of music at the University of Colorado 51传媒, where she conducts the University Choir and CU Treble Chorus. Under her direction, the University Choir was selected to perform at the 2025 National Collegiate Choral Organization National Conference at Cal State Fullerton and performed at the 2023 Colorado Music Educators Association Conference.
A passionate educator, Swanson also teaches undergraduate conducting courses and serves on master's and doctoral committees. She oversaw the CU Choral Program as interim director for four semesters (2018鈥19; 2024), during which she supervised all aspects of the program. In 2024, she received a university-wide Provost鈥檚 Faculty Achievement Award, acknowledging her contributions to CU 51传媒 through scholarly and creative work, teaching, leadership and service.
A sought-after guest conductor, pedagogue and presenter, Swanson has been a headlining artist for concerts at Carnegie Hall (2022 and 2024). She is regularly invited to be in residence and conduct festivals at higher education institutions such as Montana State University, University of Hawai鈥榠 at M膩noa and University of Illinois Chicago. For three seasons, she served as the associate conductor of 51传媒-based Ars Nova Singers. Nationally, Swanson serves as the co-chair of student activities for the American Choral Directors Association.
A professional ensemble mezzo-soprano, Swanson has been a member of the Ars Nova Singers in 51传媒, New York City-based ensembles Manhattan Chorale and Chorale Le Ch芒teau, as well as the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Grant Park Chorus.
Before her appointment at CU 51传媒, Swanson lived in New York City and was director of choirs and associate professor of music at a liberal arts college formerly known as Nyack College, in lower Manhattan. Under her direction, the Nyack College Chorale performed three concerts at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, as well as three concerts at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York, St. Paul鈥檚 Chapel at Trinity Church Wall Street and toured domestically.
Swanson has also been a member of the conducting faculty at the University of Chicago, North Park University and Ithaca College (sabbatical coverage), and was a conductor of choral ensembles at Northwestern University and Roosevelt University. Her dissertation was a qualitative analysis of 鈥淎ugust 4, 1964,鈥 an oratorio by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky with libretto by Gene Scheer. Her degrees are from Northwestern University (DMus conducting), Ithaca College (MM conducting) and St. Olaf College (BM education).