The University of Louisville Cardinal Singers is a choir consisting of between 30-40 members, and is the most selective choral ensemble at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
The Cardinal Singers were founded in 1970 under the name University Singers by the late William C. Lathon, former University of Louisville professor in the Schools of Music and Education, as an outreach organization for the University of Louisville. In 1980 they were appointed by then Governor John Y. Brown, Jr. as Commonwealth of Kentucky "ambassadors of good will." Mr. Lathon conducted the ensemble until 1991, when Shirley Wilkinson, long-time Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky) choral director, took over the leadership of the Singers. Dr. Kent Hatteberg began conducting the ensemble in 1997, and the name was changed to "Cardinal Singers" in 1998 to include the school's mascot. The ensemble rehearses twice weekly, and students receive a half credit for participation.
The outreach mission of the Cardinal Singers continues as a focus today, and the Singers have made a number of appearances nationally and internationally participating in competitions, seminars, and benefits.
ACDA National Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota 2017China International Chorus Festival, Beijing, 2016ACDA Southern Division Conference, Chattanooga, Tennessee 2016NCCO National Conference, Portland, Oregon 2015Taipei International Choral Festival, Taiwan 2015Singapore International Choral Festival, Singapore 2015Sing'n'Joy Louisville host choir and festival choir, Louisville, Kentucky 2013Vietnam International Choir Competition, Vietnam 2013Hội An Choir Grand PrizeGold Diploma, Category winners in MixedGold Diploma, Category winners in FolkloreGold Diploma, Category winners in SacredYeosu International Choir Competition and Festival, South Korea 2013Overall Grand PrizeFirst place Mixed choirs categoryFirst place Sacred categorySecond place Pop/Jazz categorySecond place Folk/Gospel/Spiritual categoryBest Conductor Award (Dr. Kent Hatteberg)ACDA National Conference, Dallas, Texas 2013U.S./Cuba Choral Summit, Cuba 2012INTERKULTUR World Rankings as of April, 2012No. 1 OverallNo. 1 Mixed ChoirNo. 6 Pop, Jazz, and GospelACDA Southern Division Conference, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 2012NCCO National Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado 2011International Choir Days Mainhausen, Germany 2011First Prize in jazz choirs categoryMen of Cardinal Singers, First Prize in male choir categorySecond Prize in mixed choirs categoryInternational Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf, Germany 2011Second PrizeGustave Charlier-Anna Maroye-prize for the best interpretation of a religious choral workHarmonie-Festival- Lindenholzhausen, Germany 2011First Prize in mixed choir categoryWomen of Cardinal Singers, Second Prize in female chamber choir categoryMen of Cardinal Singers, Third Prize in male chamber choir categoryTaipei International Choral Festival, Taiwan 2010Beijing International Choral Festival, China 2010INTERKULTUR (World Choir Games) 2010First Prize in Mixed ChoirsSecond Place for MUSICA MUNDI World Ranking List Top 1.000Grand Prix of Choral Music - Busan, South Korea 2009First Prize in Sacred CompetitionFirst Prize in Mixed Chamber Choir CompetitionACDA Southern Division Conference: Headliner Concert - March 2008Voices of the Baltics Conference - Seminar Choir - Tallinn, Estonia 2007Tolosa Choral Contest - Tolosa, Spain 2006Women of Cardinal Singers, Third Prize in Profane CategoryWomen of Cardinal Singers, Third Prize in Sacred CategoryCardinal Singers, Third Prize in Folklore CategoryWorld Symposium on Choral Music – Kyoto, Japan 2005Harmonie-Festival– Lindenholzhausen, Germany 2005First Prize in the mixed chamber choir categoryPreis des Bundestagspräsidenten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland – for the highest score of all choirs.Award for outstanding interpretation of world premier: Laudate pueri, Dominum by Vitautas Miškinis.International Chamber Choir Competition– Marktoberdorf, Germany 2005.Second PrizeConductor's prize for the best interpretation of a contemporary choral work: "Ich bin das Brot des Lebens" by Wolfram Buchenberg.International Conducting Seminar Choir – Marktoberdorf, Germany 2005International Choir Olympics – Bremen, Germany 2004ACDA Southern Division Conference, Nashville, Tennessee 2004First Prize Spiritual/Gospel Category (category winners)First Prize Chamber Choir Category (category winners)Fourth Prize Musica Contemporanea CategoryThird International Johannes Brahms Choral Competition – Wernigerode, Germany 2003Gold Diploma, Third Prize in Chamber Choir CategoryGold Diploma, Category winners in Spiritual/Gospel CategoryLocally, the Cardinal Singers perform for a variety of community events on and off campus, ranging from holiday concerts at the Louisville Speed Art Museum and St Martin of Tours Catholic Church for the WUOL Holiday Concert to singing the national anthem at the Louisville Cardinals basketball games. In February 2004 the Cardinal Singers were selected to perform at the American Choral Directors Association Southern Division Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. In July 2005 they gave a concert/demonstration for the Kentucky Choral Directors Association Summer Symposium and sang for the conducting session led by Anton Armstrong. In February 2006, the Cardinal Singers performed at the Kentucky Music Educators Association Conference and received wide acclaim.
