artistic director
DR. CHRISTOPHER MASON
I am thrilled to welcome you to the Vox GR webpage where you can get to know us, hear what we’ve been up to, and connect with our charming team members. I know that you are sure to enjoy the unique artistic capabilities of our professional chamber choir because we believe in the power of music, presented in this intimate way, to effect listeners deeply.
Our vision is to transform our community through high-caliber choral singing that moves the heart, engages the intellect, and honors our diversity. Through compelling performances, relevant commissioning of music, and educational engagement for diverse student populations, we know our music will have an enriching effect on all who hear it.
I hope you’ll reach out and connect with us, and I look forward to getting to know you!
Chris
Christopher Mason is the Founding Artistic Director of Vox GR and the Interim Director of Choral Activities at his alma mater, Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas. At SMU, he conducts the choirs and teaches graduate conducting and choral literature. Previously, Dr. Mason was the Director of Choral Activities at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He earned a DMA in Choral Music at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign under the mentorship of Andrew Megill. While in Illinois, Dr. Mason directed the University Chorus, taught undergraduate conducting, was the assistant director of the UIUC Chamber Singers and UIUC Oratorio Society, and served as choirmaster at Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church. His research focuses on the Latin American Baroque, specifically the analysis and historically informed performance of the music of Manuel de Sumaya, one of the first American-born boy choristers to become chapel master at the Cathedral of Mexico City in the 18th century.
Dr. Mason earned his Master of Music in Conducting degree at the University of Georgia under the mentorship of Daniel Bara and J.D. Burnett. At UGA, he assisted with the Men’s Glee Club, University Chorus, Collegium Musicum, and conducted the Repertory Singers and UGA Opera Chorus. While in Georgia, he directed the Walton County Music Guild Chorus in their annual Christmas programs and served as Assistant Director of the Sanctuary Choir at Athens First United Methodist Church. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree summa cum laude and a minor in mechanical engineering at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Mason taught all levels of secondary choral education and AP Music Theory just north of Dallas, Texas in Lovejoy Independent School District and Plano Independent School District. High school choirs under his direction have sung at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and with Dallas’ premier professional choir, Orpheus Chamber Singers. He is a former Company Manager of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, a recipient of Southern Methodist University’s 2014 Young Music Educator of the Year award and a past director of the Dallas Men’s Rotary Chorus.