Stevenson’s newly appointed choral director, Beverly Gandolfo, hopes to expand the University Singers and urges students to join, keeping in mind the activity also counts as a two-credit course.

Gandolfo taught music in Carroll County, Maryland, and she retired from her 38-year teaching career in the county’s public schools in 2015, where she taught middle school vocal music for 15 years and high school choral music for 23 years. She has also been involved in a professional musical theatre in her community for decades.  Prior to her arrival at Stevenson, she held a position at McDaniel College, formerly Western Maryland College, where she was the musical director for Theatre-on-the-Hill.

She currently directs the Carroll Singers as well, a 60-voice community chorus in Carroll County. She is also the choir director and pianist at Emory United Methodist Church in Upperco, Maryland.

According to a press release from the Frederick County Public Schools, Gandolfo toured the United States and Puerto Rico with a gospel band, where she provided keyboards and background vocals.

Expanding the University Singers at Stevenson is Gandolfo’s goal.  There are currently 22 students enrolled, but Galdolfo believes that many students are not aware that the chorus counts as a credit-bearing course.

She urges students to register: “There is no audition. Anyone who wants to join certainly can,” said Gandolfo.  A wide variety of music, from Mozart to contemporary, is taught.

Prior to Gandolfo’s hiring, Dr. Robert Suggs conducted the chorus. The chorus has been around for more than 30 years under Suggs’ direction.

The University Singers now meet on Owings Mills North, to make the class more accessible to students, on Mondays and Thursdays from 7 -8:15 p.m.

Their final concert is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Inscape Theatre on the Greenspring campus.