Short Bio
Described to be “destroying stereotypes and breaking boundaries for the arts and choral music,” Marie Bucoy-Calavan has conducted a diverse range of ensembles, from primary and secondary level choirs, to community, collegiate, and professional choruses and opera productions.
Bucoy-Calavan has been Director of Choral Studies at The University of Akron since 2014, where she conducts the choirs and teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level conducting and choral literature. She focuses on innovation by collaborating and combining with different art forms, which results in enterprising ventures and widened audiences for choral music.
Bucoy-Calavan is in demand as a conductor, clinician, and speaker across the US and in Europe. She is also frequently invited for residencies teaching conducting masterclasses, conducting private lessons, and American choral music at the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre in Munich, Germany. She has been asked to present and speak on the new generation of entrepreneurial advances in choral music at the 2017 and 2018 National Conferences for Chorus America.
A lifelong learner and enthusiast for the art of conducted gesture, Bucoy-Calavan has been fervent in continuing her conducting training. She has been invited to participate in juried conducting masterclasses across the country, and placed second in the 2013 American Choral Directors Association National Choral Conducting Competition, held in Dallas, Texas. Her research interests lies in conducting pedagogy and its unification among choral, orchestral, and wind ensembles.
Bucoy-Calavan finished her Bachelor of Arts in Music and Master of Music in Choral Conducting at California State University, Fullerton and completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting and cognate in Music History at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music.
In addition to conducting, Bucoy-Calavan has a passion for teaching and motivating people to reach their full potential, both in music and fitness. In addition to her work in classical music, she is also certified as a Group Fitness Instructor and is a coach for Orangetheory Fitness, where she trains individuals to find their strength and achieve their fitness goals. With its parallels in movement and behavioral drive, she is often requested to speak about the unique niche between music, conducting, and fitness.
