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Music Department

Choral Music

The Choral Music Program offers a variety of performing opportunities for all students. No matter their major, skill level, or instrument, we have a choir that is right for everyone. Current program offerings include the Chamber Singers, the Concert Choir, and our men’s ensemble, “Fermata Nowhere.” Additionally, the College offers courses in jazz performance, including “Singcopation” and “Frontline.” These talented groups have received national and international acclaim. For more information on each ensemble click on the corresponding link at the right, or contact Professor Bruce Rogers or Professor Bill McIntosh.

William McIntosh, Professor of Music, has been conducting choirs in the Southern California area for over 20 years. The last ten of these have been at Mt. SAC where he conducts the Concert Choir, vocal jazz ensemble "Frontline," and the award winning men’s ensemble "Fermata Nowhere." His experience also includes directing choirs at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, Biola University, the First Baptist Church of Downey and the First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton.  He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Biola University, with a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting from CSU Long Beach.  Choirs under the direction of Professor McIntosh have won numerous awards and have received superior ratings throughout the state.  These include three Downbeat Magazine awards and an appearance at the International Association of Jazz Educator’s convention in 1995. In Spring of 2009, "Fermata Nowhere" became the first community college ensemble to win the "International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella" when they took 1st place at a competition which included groups from Oxford, South Africa, Yale and several other four-year universities from across the United States. In addition, the vocal jazz group "Frontline" has taken second place in the college/four year university category at the 2004, 2009 and 2010 Reno International Jazz Festival – the largest jazz festival in the Western United States. Professor McIntosh is an active member of the ACDA, SCVA, MENC, Pi Lambda Theta, and has served several terms as the Vocal Jazz Repertoire and Standards Chair for the Western Division of the American Choral Directors Association.

Bruce Rogers is the Director of Choral Activities. In this role, he oversees the department’s various vocal and choral programs, which span the entire spectrum of music – from classical to jazz. He personally directs Mt. San Antonio College’s award-winning Chamber Singers and the elite vocal jazz ensemble, "Singcopation."

Choirs under his direction have achieved top ranking in national and international competitions throughout the world, including performances in Concert Halls throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Scotland, Wales, England, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. Mr. Rogers' choirs have had the honor of performing at five California State Conventions, eight American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Regional and National Conventions as well as performing at three International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) National Conventions. In the year 2001, Mr. Rogers became the first choral director in United States history to have two different choirs perform at both the IAJE National Convention and the ACDA National Convention, and in 2005, he achieved this special honor once again.  

Mr. Rogers’ most recent guest conducting ventures outside of the United States, includes conducting at the “AMIS International Honor Band and Choral Festival” hosted by the International School at The Hague, in the Netherlands, conducting at the “ACCET Choral Conductor’s Workshop” held in Melbourne, Australia, guest conducting the music of Franz Joseph Haydn in Vienna and Budapest with a Festival Choir and Orchestra honoring the 200^th Anniversary of Haydn’s death, and was the headline clinician and guest conductor at the "Australian National Choral Association" (ANCA) Convention in Port Macquarie, Australia. He has guest conducted the New York Chamber Orchestra and Festival Chorus at Carnegie Hall on five different occasions and has performed by special invitation at Lincoln Center. In 2007, Professor Rogers was invited to conduct the ACDA National Two-Year College Honor Choir at the ACDA National Convention in Miami, Florida. Mr. Rogers has presented lectures, adjudicated, or conducted All-State and Collegiate Honor Choirs in twenty-one states, Canada, Austria, Hungary, Australia, and the Netherlands.

During the summer of 2007, the Chamber Singers were awarded the first place prize at the “International Competition For Choirs” in Spittal an der Drau, Austria and then traveled to Llangollen, Wales where they were awarded the title of “Choir of the World” by winning the prestigious Pavarotti Trophy at the “Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Competition." The Chamber Singers received a total of four first place awards while competing at the Eisteddfod competition, a feat never before accomplished by any choir in the competition’s sixty-one year history. In 2003, Mr. Rogers was awarded the prestigious “Best Conductor” prize at the “International Grand Prix Choral Competition” held in Varna, Bulgaria and the Chamber Singers received numerous first place awards, including the title of “Grand Prix Champions."  "Singcopation" has been honored with numerous awards from Downbeat Magazineincluding “Best Collegiate Vocal Jazz Group” in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 & 2006, along with a special performance award in 2008, 2009 & 2011. For his many achievements, Mt. SAC presented Professor Rogers with its prestigious “Faculty Member of the Year” award and the Upland Community Foundation honored him as a recipient of their 2010 "Spotlight Award" for Outstanding Educator. He has also recently signed with Gentry Music to publish the “Bruce Rogers Choral Series”, which strives to discover challenging new choral works from various countries and languages.

Educationally, Mr. Rogers earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Connecticut, a master’s degree in choral conducting at Claremont Graduate University, and has undertaken doctoral studies at the University of Southern California.