Harvard–Radcliffe Collegium Musicum
The Harvard–Radcliffe Collegium Musicum is a mixed chorus at Harvard University, composed of roughly 50 voices from undergraduate and graduate student populations. Founded in 1971 to coincide with the coeducational merger of Harvard and Radcliffe College, Collegium drew from members of the Harvard Glee Club and the Radcliffe Choral Society to form a smaller mixed group that could represent Harvard on tours.[1] Although Collegium used to perform primarily early Renaissance music, its repertoire now draws from centuries of a cappella and orchestral selections.[2] Together with the Harvard Glee Club (all-male) and the Radcliffe Choral Society (all-female), it is a member of the Holden Choruses.
History
F. John Adams served as Collegium's conductor from its founding until 1978, when Jameson Marvin became Harvard's Director of Choral Activities. The group rose to prominence during Marvin’s thirty-two-year tenure, receiving critical acclaim through recordings, international tours, and numerous invited appearances at professional conferences. Andrew Clark became the Collegium’s third conductor in 2010 and has led the ensemble in performances of Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion, Handel’s Israel in Egypt, Mozart's Requiem, Haydn’s The Creation, Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil (Vespers), and Arvo Pärt’s Saint John Passion, as well as in appearances at Boston’s Jordan Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Salzburg Cathedral, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.[3]
Recent Concert Seasons
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 academic year, Collegium toured Baltimore and Washington DC to participate in the American Choral Directors Association Convention. On April 11, 2014, Collegium collaborated with Joyful Noise, a choir composed of adults with neurological and physical disabilities. Collegium also sang Verdi's Requiem with the other Holden Choruses, the Harvard Glee Club and Radcliffe Choral Society, during Harvard's annual visiting weekend.
Tours
Collegium embarks on an international tour every four years, planned by student tour managers. In its history, Collegium has traveled on ten international tours,[4] working and performing with local choirs in addition to performing independently.
| Tour Location | Cities | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba | 2015 |
| Germany and Austria | Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main (Hoch Conservatory), Munich, Salzburg, Vienna | 2011 |
| Australia and New Zealand | 2007 | |
| France and the Iberian Peninsula | 2003 | |
| Italy and Greece | 1999 | |
| Great Britain | 1995 | |
| Mexico | 1991 | |
| Canada | 1986 | |
| The Mediterranean | 1981 | |
| Europe | 1976 |
Management
The Harvard–Radcliffe Collegium Musicum is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, managed and overseen entirely by undergraduate students. Members gain valuable experience in arts administration, concert production, marketing, tour planning, and other facets of non-profit leadership. Working with Collegium inspires many graduates to embark on related careers, public service, and lifelong arts and music education advocacy.[5] Collegium is currently led by president Taylor Weary '16 and manager Emma Borjigin-Wang '17.