Director
Susan Davenport is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Southern Illinois University Carbondale where she conducts the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Choral Union, teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting, choral literature and arranging, and administers the choral program. Previously Dr. Davenport was the Coordinator of Choral Activities at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. Dr. Davenport made her Carnegie Hall debut with the TWU Concert Choir at the National Women’s Choral Festival in May of 2005. She has conducted All-State choruses and honor choirs in Texas, Kentucky and Colorado. Prior to her collegiate teaching, Dr. Davenport had a lengthy career in public school music. She holds degrees in music education from Campbellsville University (KY) and Western Kentucky University and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Texas Tech University, where she was a DeVitt Jones Scholar. While at Texas Tech, Dr. Davenport was the founding conductor of the Texas Tech Women’s Chorale and served as Assistant Conductor of the Lubbock Chorale. Her doctoral research was on the choral music of Johannes Brahms for women’s choirs. Dr. Davenport (Stewart)’s article entitled “The Poet Sings: Choral Settings of Emily Dickinson’s Poetry” was recently published in the Choral Journal, the national publication for the American Choral Director’s Association. She is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Illinois Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, and Pi Kappa Lambda music honorary fraternity.