The University Glee Club of New Haven

Spurred by the nostalgia of group singing in World War I and memories of college glee club days, an all-male chorus was established in New Haven in December, 1924. Under the direction of Yale Music Director Marshall Bartholomew, the group quickly mushroomed and received rave reviews in the local newspapers.

Over the years, the singing group idea flourished and so did the University Glee Club. Today, we are considered the oldest independent men's glee club in the country!

The Glee Club is a rich blend of men's voices: Tenor I, Tenor II, Baritone and Bass. We meet once per week, and along with a professional accompanist, rehearse a wide variety of choral music.

In 1948, after 24 years of directing the four-part harmony group, Mr Bartholomew retired from Yale and the UGC. He passed the baton to the then director of the Yale Glee Club, Fenno Heath. Heath directed us until his retirement in 1986. During his distinguished tenure, the Club performed at many different venues with several famous soloists, glee clubs and choruses.

The University Glee Club's third director, Mark Dollhopf, Yale Class of 1977, is an alumnus of Yale's fine musical traditions, including its Glee Club and the Whiffenpoofs. Ethan Nash was the fourth director. A 1997 graduate of Yale, Ethan majored in music and received his PhD at the prestigious Hartt School of Music.

Kevin Buno joined us in 2009 as the current director. A music educator, he holds a B.S.Ed. from the College of Saint Rose and a M.M. from the University of Connecticut. In addition, he has pursued graduate studies in Vocal Performance at the New England Conservatory of Music. Also active in Musical Theatre and as a tenor soloist, his ensembles have received accolades from Classic and Heritage Music Festivals for their dynamic performances at choral events on the east coast. We are extremely pleased to have Kevin as our new director.