News // Notre Dame Children's Choir // University of Notre Dame

Staff Member Susanna Villano Honored with The Presidential Catholic Mission Award

October 6, 2026

By SMND

Sacred Music staff member Susanna Villano was one of two recipients of The Presidential Catholic Mission Award for 2026. This award honors staff who are a force for good. These award recipients help to advance Notre Dame’s mission to be...

Dates for our upcoming 2026-27 Season

June 26, 2026

By Susanna Kim-Villano

The Notre Dame Children’s Choir is excited to announce dates for our upcoming 2026-27 Season! FALL 2026 Rehearsal Schedule First day of Liturgical Choir rehearsals- Monday, August 24 (**Email ndcchoir@nd.edu if you are 10+ y.o. interested in joining!) First day...

Notre Dame Children's Choir

November 15, 2023

By Susanna Kim-Villano

We are pleased to announce that the Notre Dame Children's Choir under the direction of Artistic Director Mark Doerries won Second Place in the national American Prize in the category of Youth Choral Ensembles…

Mark Doerries on Podcast "Public Worship and the Christian Life"

February 7, 2023

By SMND

Mark Doerries joins host Kristen Verhulst on the podcast Public Worship and the Christian Life, part of the Calvin Institute of Christian Studies at Calvin College, to discuss the Notre Dame Children's Choir and the future of children's choral programs...

New release of Christmas Album

December 23, 2021

By Mark Doerries

We are pleased to announce the release of our newest Christmas album, A Ceremony of Carols: Christmas with the Notre Dame Children's Choir! Recorded in June of 2021 in Reyes Choral and Organ Hall of Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, the...

Black History Month event explores the sounds of African-American jazz, classical and gospel music

February 28, 2019

By Erin Blasko

“Unsung: The Exploration of the Sounds of Black Folk” featured performances by vocalist Calesta “Callie” Day and pianist and composer Isaac Cates, in collaboration with Emorja Roberson, doctoral student in Sacred Music; Alex Mansour, senior in the Music Department; the...

Notre Dame Children's Choir Performs at Walt Disney Hall

January 13, 2019

By Mark Doerries

Students and faculty from Sacred Music at Notre Dame had a full schedule of performances in South Bend and California the week before Christmas.…

Notre Dame Children’s Choir to perform with Arturo Sandoval in Los Angeles, celebrating release of new Christmas album

November 28, 2018

By Arts and Letters

The guest appearance is part of Sandoval’s “Swinging Christmas with the Sandoval Big Band” concert at 8 p.m. on Dec. 21.

Grammy-winning jazz musician Arturo Sandoval records Christmas album with Notre Dame Children's Choir

September 26, 2018

By Arts and Letters

An internationally acclaimed jazz and classical musician and composer, Arturo Sandoval has received 10 Grammy Awards, six Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award and is a 2013 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, this nation’s highest civilian honor. Sandoval will...

Lilly Endowment awards $1.6 million grant for Sacred Music at Notre Dame program

July 26, 2017

By Carrie Gates

The University of Notre Dame has received a $1.6 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support the Sacred Music at Notre Dame (SMND) program and its transformative work with graduate students and the community. This is the program’s second grant...

Children’s Choir album tops Billboard’s traditional classical album chart

November 18, 2016

By Josh Weinhold

The album is a blend of sacred music and jazz improvisation, featuring renditions of Advent and Christmas texts and melodies.

ND Children's Choir Album Tops Classical Music Charts!

November 15, 2016

By Mark Doerries

Sacred Music at Notre Dame is excited to announce that the Notre Dame Children’s Choir’s recording O Emmanuel debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Traditional Classical Music Chart!

Review: "O Emmanuel": Oh, Not Just Another Christmas Album

November 11, 2016

By Mark Doerries

The new album from Dynamic Catholic is J.J. Wright’s bold experiment with a Christmas album that both surprises and challenges. It also brings unexpected delights of jazz to the season. By: Christopher S. Morrissey

Register Now For Our 2016–17 Season

August 1, 2016

By Sacred Music Academy

The University of Notre Dame's Sacred Music Academy will hold open auditions for singers up to age 17 to join the Notre Dame Children's Choir. NDCC is comprised of several ensembles with singers divided by age and ability. Learn more about...

A New Movement for Sacred Music

July 28, 2016

By Brendan O'Shaughnessy

The goal of Sacred Music at Notre Dame is to keep alive great musical traditions of the Western world. By training young people in the history and breadth of sacred music, the program aims to reinvigorate Christian churches through a...

New Lyric Choir Welcomes Singers with Special Needs

January 22, 2016

By Mark Doerries

The Notre Dame Children’s Choir has initiated a new choir for singers with special needs, the Lyric Choir. For children ages 9 to 13, the Lyric Choir focuses on singing and experiencing sacred music in a welcoming choral community, musical instruction...

Register for the New Elkhart Community Children's Choir

September 16, 2015

By Sacred Music Academy

The Elkhart Community Children's Choir is a division of the Notre Dame Children’s Choir for singers ages 7 to 10 in the Elkhart community. The program is free to all involved. The Choir is hosted by Saint John’s Episcopal Church and...

Notre Dame Children’s Choir Kicks Off National Tour in South Bend

June 11, 2015

By Kate Garry

On Saturday (June 13), the University of Notre Dame Children’s Choir will perform at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church in South Bend at 4 p.m. The concert marks the start of a national tour that includes stops in New York City, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Columbus, and...

NDCC Presents at Notre Dame TEDx Conference

February 20, 2015

By Mark Doerries

The Chamber Choir of the Notre Dame Children's Choir presented a talk and performance as part of the 2015 Notre Dame TEDx Conference titled: "What if children were more than cute."

Notre Dame Adds New Children's Choir

August 6, 2013

By Michael O. Garvey

The voices of 40 children will be added to the University of Notre Dame’s internationally renowned choirs this fall. According to Mark B. Doerries, conductor of The University of Notre Dame Children’s Choir, “Our program is geared toward three populations:...