about chorus

The Austin Lyric Opera Chorus is a part-time professional ensemble drawn from a pool of Central Texas vocalists. This group, whose members are selected based on annual auditions, features a diverse sampling of people from throughout Austin and the surrounding area. Often including university students, teachers, lawyers, healthcare professionals, high-tech professionals and others, the members of the Austin Lyric Opera Chorus are people who get their cultural fix by providing that culture for the enjoyment of others.

The Chorus is a spirited team with an intense loyalty for ALO, and it has remained one of the most prominent artistic elements of the company since its inception. Whether a score calls for the precision of a chorus of twelve or the power of one hundred and twenty voices, the ALO Chorus provides a solid musical foundation for each production. The members pride themselves on their musical ability and “can-do” attitude, traits which endear them to any conductor or director with whom they work. While some of the names and faces change from year to year, there are several veterans who have performed in more than fifteen seasons; one member marked his 20th anniversary last season, right along with ALO!

Members of the Austin Lyric Opera Chorus are selected based on auditions heard on an annual basis, usually in the spring or summer. See the Chorus Auditions page for more information.

Assistant Conductor & Chorus Master Marc David Erck has been associated with Austin Lyric Opera since its launch. Noted as the first performer onstage at the company premiere, Mr. Erck served as a performer, Assistant Director/Stage Manager, and Supertitles Coordinator before assuming his current duties in the spring of 2001. With a background that includes more than eighteen years of choral conducting and over twenty-five years of stage work, Mr. Erck brings a unique and varied experience to the Austin Lyric Opera. He resides in his native Austin with his wife Debra, a music educator and children’s choir director, and their two sons.