BW Men's Chorus

The BW Men's Chorus is an offering of the Community Arts School and is open to tenor and bass singers, high school age and up, from throughout the Greater Cleveland community including BW faculty, staff and students. This collaborative effort seeks to bring outstanding male chorus singing to Northeast Ohio and beyond. The group has performed to standing-room-only audiences, has collaborated in concert with several outstanding music organizations and has received rave reviews from throughout the Greater Cleveland Community.

During a typical year, the chorus performs a wide variety of choral literature written especially for the male voice. This includes classical literature, as well as some pop and Broadway. Members should have some background in music (instrumental or vocal) and a basic knowledge of music reading and pitch matching.

Rehearsals are generally held Tuesdays from 6:50 - 9:00 p.m.

There are three registration options for BW Men's Chorus:

Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Full Year

If you are a BW student, you can take Men's Chorus for credit toward your Humanities/Perspectives requirement. If you are an educator, you can take Men's Chorus for Professional Development Credit (1 credit per semester, no limit)!

Learn More & Register

Follow BW Men's Chorus

Concert Tickets

Baldwin Wallace Men's Chorus Member Singing In Concert

Audition Information

BW Men's Chorus Director Devon Steve will hear auditions in-person, in August at the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music, located at 49 Seminary Street, Berea OH 44017. We welcome all tenor and bass singers - advanced high school age and up - to consider joining our choral community!

Please register for your audition by visiting auditions.bwmenschorus.com.

Prior to auditioning for the chorus, all potential members must review the concert and rehearsal schedule and must be able to commit to both rehearsals and performances. It is expected that all members commit to the entire year/season.

Potential members should have a working knowledge of "note reading." An instrumental, piano or choral background is helpful as is the ability to sight-read and learn music on your own.

You will vocalize to determine your range (how high or low you can sing).

You will sing a prepared piece of your choice. This piece can be virtually anything that best shows off your voice. It does not need to be memorized and an accompanist will be provided. If you do not have a prepared piece, you will sing “America the Beautiful” or “Happy Birthday”.

You will sing your part in a short hymn-like setting.

Baldwin Wallace Men's Chorus Singing in Concert Hall

15th Anniversary Giving Campaign

Your generous support ensures that the BWMC may continue to grow, create, and offer quality educational and artistic opportunities for Northeast Ohio and beyond. Each contribution makes a world of difference in sustaining the chorus and growing its future.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation today, you may do so online at give.bwmenschorus.com or by contacting cas@bw.edu. You are our reason. You are our song.

Thank you!

Faculty

Devon Steve, Director

Devon Steve joins the BW Men's Chorus as Director beginning with the 2024-2025 season.

Devon Steve, a Cleveland-area conductor, music educator, and performer. In addition to his work with the Men's Chorus, he serves as the Director of Music at University School, where he conducts choir and orchestra, and is the Assistant Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus. He further engages with the professional music community as the World Music and Cultures Repertoire & Resource Chair for the Ohio Choral Directors Association.

Prior to moving to Cleveland, Devon was the Assistant Director of Vocal Music & Theater Arts at Roosevelt High School (Des Moines, IA), conducting five co-curricular choirs, and assistant directing all theatrical productions. During this time, he prepared the award-winning Roosevelt Choirs for performances alongside a list of collaborators, including the Des Moines Symphony, TAKE 6, and the New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall. From 2019-2022, he led the Des Moines Diversity Chorus as Artistic Director, and was a baritone, board member, and guest conductor for the Des Moines Choral Society, conducted by Dr. James Rodde.

Mr. Steve has performed as a chorister with a number of ensembles including The Cleveland Orchestra & Chorus, The Boston Symphony Orchestra, the American Boychoir, and has conducted a range of instrumental ensembles across the Midwest. He received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN), and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Simpson College (Indianola, IA).

Michelle Massouh Makhlouf, Accompanist

Michelle is a Staff Accompanist with Baldwin Wallace. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Bowling Green State University and a Master’s degree in Piano Performance with an emphasis in Accompanying from the University of Akron. Prior to earning her Master’s degree, Michelle served as the Staff Accompanist at Kent State University-Stark Campus and the University of Akron for several years. Michelle joined the Baldwin Wallace Men’s Chorus in August 2015 and the BW Singers in August 2016. She also accompanied the Baldwin Wallace Women’s Chorus in 2015. Michelle is an accomplished accompanist. She accompanies The Cleveland Pops Chorus, and has served as the Staff Accompanist at Jackson High School since graduating from BGSU. Michelle has accompanied multiple productions at numerous local theaters, including Kent State University Lyric Theatre Ensemble, Solon Center for the Arts, Actors’ Summit Theater, North Canton Playhouse, and Saint Thomas Aquinas High School. Michelle is also an accomplished bassoonist. She has played the bassoon with the True North Orchestra and the Cleveland Winds. She is also a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Michelle is the proud mother of four beautiful daughters.

Baldwin Wallace Men's Chorus at Christmas Concert

Policies

Annual Membership

While you may pay for the chorus one semester at a time, we expect members will be participants for the entire school year. If you step out for a semester, you’ll be asked to audition before being readmitted.

Rehearsal Attendance

We understand that at times other commitments will cause you to miss or be late to a rehearsal.

If you know you are going to miss a rehearsal, please email us as early as possible. This helps the director set up the seating chart.

If you miss a rehearsal, you’ll need to come in at 6:20 the following week and sing in a quartet. This includes your first absence. You’ll receive an email from the manger confirming that you’ll need to come in early.
If you fail to come in to sing in a quartet or you miss more than two rehearsals in a semester, you will be asked to step out of the chorus for a semester.

Rehearsals begin promptly at 6:50 p.m. You are expected to be in your seat at the start of rehearsal. If you’re late by 30 minutes or more, you must come in early the following week. If you are tardy repeatedly you may be asked to step out of the chorus for a semester.

Concert Attendance

You are expected to sing at all formal concerts. The only valid last minute excuses for missing a formal concert are: family, personal, school or work emergency. If for some reason you are sick with a cold and can’t sing you are still expected to attend the concert and sit in the audience.
If you know you will miss a concert because of a pre-planned conflict, you’ll need to send a “request to be excused” from the concert by email as soon as you know about the conflict.

If you miss a concert for any other reason, you will be asked to step out of the chorus for a semester.

Leaving the Chorus

If you leave the chorus for any reason, you’ll be asked to audition before being readmitted. If you’re asked to step out, no refund of tuition will be given.

The newsletter is emailed the day after rehearsal. Check the newsletter for:

Comments and score marking from the previous rehearsal
Dates and time for any unusual chorus meetings such as the retreat
Our schedule of concerts for the entire year
Chorus Email

The chorus’s email is menschrs@bw.edu. Please use this for any emailing to the chorus managers or director. Email is our main source of communication for absences and emergency notices.

Your Copy of Music

Our music is one of our largest expenses. You’ll be given stickers with your name. Place a sticker in the upper right corner of the first page of each piece of music. This allows us to keep track of our music and so you can have your copy back if we sing the piece again. Mark your music only in pencil. Music remains the property of the chorus and you’ll be asked to cover the cost of any music you don’t return.

Concert Attire

In our concerts we wear a black tuxedo with a white shirt, black pants, black socks and black shoes and a black bow tie. A cummerbund is optional, but don’t wear a vest. And please, get your tux cleaned at least once a year.

Cellphones

You may use a cell phone during a rehearsal only to record the rehearsal or to check the time.