UMD CHAMBER SINGERS

The UMD Chamber Singers have garnered international acclaim for their distinguished performances of complex choral repertoire spanning from the 16th to the 21st century. The ensemble embarked on its inaugural European tour in 2007, earning recognition with a prize-winning appearance at the International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. In 2011, they received the Premier Prix for Mixed Choirs and the Prix Ronsard for their interpretation of Renaissance music at the 40th Florilège Vocal de Tours in France. Further demonstrating their international stature, the ensemble was invited to perform at the 10th World Symposium on Choral Music, hosted by the International Federation for Choral Music in Seoul, South Korea, in 2014.

The Chamber Singers maintain an active performance schedule in collaboration with prestigious orchestras, including the National Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Their repertoire in these partnerships includes major choral-orchestral works such as Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Orff’s Carmina Burana. In addition to their symphonic engagements, the ensemble is particularly noted for its interpretation of seminal a cappella works of the 20th and 21st centuries, with performances of compositions by Barber, Britten, Copland, Howells, Ives, MacMillan, Penderecki, Poulenc, Schönberg and Shaw.

The ensemble collaborates regularly with esteemed conductors of international renown, including Christoph Eschenbach, Iván Fischer, Gianandrea Noseda, Matthew Halls, Laurence Cummings, James MacMillan, Nicholas McGegan, Nathalie Stutzmann, Laurence Equilbey and Jonathon Heyward. The UMD Chamber Singers are frequently invited to perform by major professional organizations such as the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO). In the fall of 2019, they hosted and were featured artists at NCCO’s biennial national conference. In 2022, the ensemble was featured at the ACDA Eastern Division Conference.

This upcoming season, they will present major works with the National Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony. In February 2026, they will appear at the ACDA Eastern Region Conference, having successfully passed the audition.
 

UMD Chamber Singers In Action

Sound Clips

UMD Chamber Singers Assistant Conductors

Trevor Tran

Contact: trtran38@umd.edu
TREVOR TRAN is a conductor and educator based in the Washington, D.C. area and is a current graduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park. During his time at UMD, Tran has served as director of various UMD choruses, taught courses in conducting, and prepared ensembles for the National Symphony Orchestra and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Previously, Tran was Head of Performing Arts and Director of Vocal Arts at Fort Myers High School in Southwest Florida. Through his work, Tran was recognized as a 2023 Yamaha “40 under 40” Educator and a 2024 Temple University “30 under 30” Artistic Visionary. Besides being an educator, Tran is a composer with organizations such as Resounding Achord, CORO, Choral Arts Initiative and San José State University having sung his music. In addition, he has presented sessions at state, regional and national music conferences for organizations such as ACDA and NafME. Tran holds a bachelor's degree in music composition from San José State University, concurrent master’s degrees in choral conducting and music composition from Temple University, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in choral conducting at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Mary Shea Kealey Kustas

Contact: mkustas@umd.edu

MARY SHEA KEALEY KUSTAS is entering her second year as a choral conducting master’s student and graduate assistant at the University of Maryland. An aspiring educator as well as conductor, Mary Shea has served as assistant director for the Peabody Children’s Chorus for all three treble choirs and taught choral and general music at Redland Middle School in Montgomery County. Mary Shea graduated magna cum laude from UMD in 2020 with bachelor’s degrees in both choral/general music education and voice performance. In her free time, she enjoys teaching voice lessons, playing fiddle and singing folk songs with her friends.

Eric Beomjin Kim

Contact: ekim0507@umd.edu

ERIC BEOMJIN KIM is a doctoral student and graduate assistant in choral conducting at the University of Maryland, where he serves as assistant conductor of the Chamber Singers and Treble Choir, and director of the Maryland Palestrina Choir. Eric introduces himself as a “nomadic conductor.” He has led performances with his ensemble Empathy across South Korea, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Iran, the Philippines, Romania, Kazakhstan and the United States. As the founder and Artistic Director of the Seoul Empathy Choir, Eric has conducted both children’s and adult choirs every summer since 2018. His passion for community engagement inspired the creation of the Empathy Choir Camp, a collaborative initiative with 20 staff members dedicated to teaching and empowering amateur choirs. Eric holds a master’s degree in vocal pedagogy and choral conducting, graduating with distinction from Westminster Choir College, and a bachelor's degree in music from Taylor University.