About the Music Director

William Parberry has directed the University of Pennsylvania Choral Society and Choir since 1973. Through its long history the Penn choruses have performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, and the Opera Society Orchestra of New York. While the University Choir performs exclusively Classical music on campus, they were chosen to perform with two major popular performing artists - Michael Crawford (The Phantom of the Opera) in his tour of the United States in 1998 - and Barbra Streisand, in the final concert of her career at Madison Square Garden in 2000.

As co-director of Early Music at Penn, Mr. Parberry also conducts Ancient Voices, one of the premier vocal ensembles in Philadelphia. He received his Bachelor of Music in voice from the New England Conservatory and his Master of Music in choral conducting from Temple University. In addition to his conducting, Mr. Parberry sings professionally, teaches voice; and as a member of the Penn faculty, he has taught theory, musicianship, and one of the music department’s most popular courses on the history of jazz.