Eminent American conductor and composer Dale Warland was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, April 14, 1932. He has made an indelible impression on the landscape of contemporary choral music throughout the world. In June of 1972, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis asked him to assemble a group of singers to present a concert of new music, and thus the Dale Warland Singers, a professional mixed chorus, was born.
The Dale Warland Singers have commissioned 270 choral works, presented more than 400 concerts and produced 27 highly acclaimed recordings in the 32 years of its existence. More than 150 notable composers have worked with the Dale Warland Singers, including Grammy winners Dominick Argento, Libby Larsen, Stephen Paulus, Aaron Jay Kernis, George Shearing, Dave Brubeck, Peter Schickele, and Eric Whitacre among many others.
The group's extraordinary efforts on behalf of composers and new music resulted in numerous awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Following the conductor's decision to retire, the Dale Warland Singers performed their final concert on May 30, 2004.
Original printed materials are held at the Archives and Rare Books Library. A finding aid is available.
The archival and other materials of the Dale Warland Singers were given to the University of Cincinnati Libraries and the College-Conservatory of Music in 2004. For additional information about the complete archive, visit the Dale Warland Singers Archive page.