Marie Bucoy-Calavan

Title: Associate Professor; Director of Choral Studies
Dept/Program: Music
Phone: (330) 972-5211
Email: mbucoycalavan@uakron.edu

Biography

Marie Bucoy-Calavan has conducted a diverse range of ensembles, from primary and secondary level choirs, to community, collegiate, and professional choruses and opera productions.

Bucoy-Calavan finished her Bachelor of Arts in Music and Master of Music in Choral Conducting at California State University, Fullerton, serving as the Graduate Assistant Conductor of both the University Singers and Chamber Choir, under the direction and mentorship of Dr. Robert Istad. She completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting at University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, where she directed the University of Cincinnati Men’s Chorus and taught introductory courses and private lessons in conducting for undergraduate students.

She has prepared and performed with symphonic choruses under the batons of Carl St. Clair, Bramwell Tovey, John Williams, Eric Whitacre, Keith Lockhart, John Mauceri, Steven Mercurio, Louis Langrée, John Nelson, and John Alexander in distinguished venues, including Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl, and the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary. Bucoy-Calavan has continued her conducting training with Robert Porco, Mark Gibson, Craig Hella-Johnson, Patrick Dupré Quigley, Ragnar Bohlin, Jerry Blackstone, Paul Rardin, Jacques Lacombe, David Hayes, Arthur Fagan, William Dehning, and Elmer Thomas.

Bucoy-Calavan has conducted various opera performances, including California State University, Fullerton’s full production of Gaetano Donizetti’s Elixir of Love and University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory's Undergraduate Opera production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro.

In addition, Bucoy-Calavan placed second in the 2013 American Choral Directors Association National Choral Conducting Competition, held in Dallas, Texas.

Bucoy-Calavan also appears as a guest clinician and conductor for honor choirs and masterclasses, both regionally and nationally. Most recently, she was invited to serve a residency teaching conducting and American choral music at the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre in Munich, Germany. She served as the Assistant Conductor of the May Festival Chorus, the symphonic chorus for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Currently, in addition to her position as Director of Choral Studies at The University of Akron, Bucoy-Calavan is both Director of Akron Symphony Chorus and Artistic Director of Summit Choral Society, a choral organization that consists of the Masterworks Chorale and the four-choir Children’s Choir Program.

She serves on the National Board of Directors for Chorus America and as University Repertoire and Resources Chair for the state organization, Ohio Choral Directors Association.