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Glee Club

The Glee Club’s reputation for excellence has also carried the banners of Occidental College far into the musical world, through national and international tours and recordings. The Occidental Glee Club is dedicated to superb music making and to fostering ties that unite generations of singers.

The Occidental Glee Club focuses on the advanced study and performance of choral music. Emphasis is placed on the more difficult traditional choral repertoire, but the study of world music and popular music is included. Enrollment is for the full year and is by audition during the first week of the fall semester. One hour of rehearsal per week for women and men separately, and 3.5 hours combined rehearsal per week. Sight-reading ability and previous musical experience highly recommended.

About the Director

Desiree La Vertu is a highly accomplished conductor, soloist, and voice teacher in the greater Los Angeles area.  La Vertu has been conducting at (Caltech) since 1999, when she began directing the Women’s Glee Club and co-directing the Glee Club. She took over the additional directorship of the Men’s Glee Club in 2006. She was appointed director of the Occidental College Glee Club fin 2008. Previously, she was on the voice faculties of Chapman University and the summer graduate program at Cal State L.A. She is one of the solo vocal coordinators and is on the choral-vocal faculty of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program festival choir.

As a soprano, La Vertu specializes in the oratorio repertoire, and made her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut in 2005 as soprano soloist in Poulenc’s Gloria. Other solo performances include Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem at Disney Hall, Brahms’ Ein Deutches Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s Magnificat, and Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity. She was a long-time member of the Donald Brinegar Singers, and was a founding member of the female a capella quartet Diva Complex.

Initially trained as a pianist, her bachelor of music is in accompanying from Cal StateFullerton, and she received her master of music in choral and Vocal studies from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she studied with Bruce Mayhall and Donald Brinegar.

Contact Desiree La Vertu