The Morningside Choir, the university’s premier forty-member auditioned choral ensemble, has maintained a respected tradition of artistic excellence since 1924. Under the direction of Dr. Ryan Person, the choir consists of undergraduate student musicians from various major areas of study who are among the university’s finest leaders and scholars. Presenting a diverse array of choral repertoire, the ensemble has been nationally and internationally recognized for its performance excellence. The choir has recently been invited to sing at the ACDA National Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, ACDA Midwestern Region Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, and the South Dakota Music Educators Conference in Rapid City, South Dakota. In 2023, the ensemble was recognized as the national winner of The American Prize for College/University Choirs.

An active touring ensemble, the choir travels to international destinations every three years. Most recently, the choir toured South Africa in 2024 and Germany, Austria, and Czechia in 2022, where they performed for a sold-out audience at the Antonín Dvorák Music Festival in Príbram, Czechia.

The Morningside Choir rehearses on MTWTh from 3:30-4:50 p.m., and prospective students are invited and encouraged to attend.

Morningside offers choral ensembles that meet the interests and needs of an active undergraduate population. Morningside Singers is a non-auditioned mixed chorus comprised of students from many different majors and interests. Directed by Dr. Ryan Person, the ensemble rehearses three days per week and includes singers from many different majors and other campus activities, such as athletics, theater, instrumental music, and student government. The choirs perform in numerous campus events and performances throughout the year and serve as ambassadors for singing in the Siouxland area. The group combines frequently with the other university choirs to perform in major events, such as Christmas at Morningside, the university’s high-profile Christmas production. Members of the Morningside Singers have also performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Morningside Singers rehearses on TWTh from 11:45 a.m.-12:35 p.m.

Open to all students, regardless of major, students may hone their performance skills with experienced faculty and real-world professionals culminating in a yearly full-scale musical theater or opera production. Recognized as a National Finalist for The American Prize in Opera Performance (College/University Division) for Dido and Aenaes, Morningside Lyric Theatre’s other recent productions include Be More Chill, Amélie, Sweeney Todd, Gianni Schicchi, and Little Red Riding Hood. Lyric Theater is under the direction of Shannon Salyards Burton, director of voice studies, and Taylor Clemens, director of theater.

The Morningside Symphonic Chorus has been part of the Siouxland music community for over seventy years. Adopted by the university in 2012, the ensemble includes professional, community, and student musicians from Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Under the direction of Dr. Josh Nannestad since 2021, the chorus offers multiple performances during the academic year and promotes intergenerational singing in a dedicated and welcoming atmosphere. This ensemble has a dual specialty: concerted masterworks (Orff Carmina Burana, Duruflé Requiem, Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes) and newly commissioned premieres (Tim Takach, Nancy Hill Cobb, Peter Hamlin). Symphonic Chorus projects often feature collaboration with extended community musical forces such as the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, the All-America Concert Band, and Siouxland Youth Chorus.

The Symphonic Chorus rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 7:00-9:00 p.m.