Arkansas Master Chorale
Master Chorale is a welcoming, non-auditioned ensemble that brings together singers from the University of Arkansas and the surrounding region in a shared celebration of great choral music. This year marks a particularly exciting season under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Allen Murdock, returning after a year-long appointment in Cambridge, UK, assisted by Dr. Jillian Harrison Jones, our newly appointed interim choral faculty.
This season’s program features a thrilling collection of grand operatic choruses, performed in collaboration with the University Symphony Orchestra and our exceptionally talented voice faculty. Singers will experience iconic music by some of the most celebrated composers in history, including Bizet, Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti, and Gershwin—works beloved for their drama, lyricism, and emotional power. From soaring chorales to electrifying ensemble moments, this repertoire represents the very best of the choral-orchestral tradition.
Whether you are a longtime member or new to the Chorale, this season promises inspiring music-making, artistic growth, and the joy of performing truly unforgettable works.
The Spring 2026 Chorale is open to all voice parts—join us and be part of an extraordinary musical journey!
Eligibility
Adult (18+) singers – all voice parts welcome
Date
Rehearsals: Mondays, February 2 – April 20
No rehearsal March 23 (Spring Break)
Dress Rehearsal: April 26 (3:00 – 6:00)
Performance: April 27 (7:30pm)
Subscribe: Public Google Calendar or iCal Calendar
Times
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Location
U of A Music Building, Room 335 (Choir Room)
Fee
Registration
Cancellations
Email notice of withdrawal to Carla Summers (carlas@uark.edu).
Refunds are not available for this program. However, substitutions are welcome.
Meet the Director
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Dr. Jeffrey Allen Murdock
Professor of Music
Director of Choral Studies
Founding Director of the Arkansas Center for Black Music
Biography
Dr. Jeffrey Allen Murdock is internationally known as a conductor and clinician. He currently serves as Director of Choral Activities, Professor of Music, and founding director of the Arkansas Center for Black Music at the University of Arkansas. He is the 2016 Connor Endowed Faculty Fellow in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Science, and 2019 Most Outstanding Faculty at the University of Arkansas. He is the 2021 GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year.
Dr. Murdock has conducted regional and state honor choirs, and headlined conferences in 26 states and 8 countries. With research interests including of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in the Choral Classroom, Music in Urban Schools, and Social Justice in Music Education, he has presented at state, regional and national conferences of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the International Society for Music Education (ISME), and the American Choral Directors Association, where he serves as president of the Southwestern Division, past-president of Arkansas ACDA, and serves on the national diversity subcommittee. Choirs under Dr. Murdock’s direction have performed at the Arkansas All-State Conference and the Southwestern Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association. In addition to being an accomplished conductor of western choral music, Dr. Murdock is also a skilled gospel musician and conductor. He has served on the conducting staff of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., has collaborated with numerous world-renowned Gospel recording artists.
Dr. Murdock holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting, both from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Music Education from the University of Memphis.