Wisconsin Singers

For five decades, the Wisconsin Singers have taken their act on the road to serve as goodwill ambassadors for the university. Former WAA president Arlie Mucks ’47, along with the School of Music’s Donald Neuen, founded the musical group in 1967. Originally called the University Singers, the students were charged with promoting the Wisconsin Idea during the tumultuous Vietnam War era.

Early audiences heard songs by the likes of John Denver and the Beatles, as well as Broadway hits from Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music. During the 1970s, the troupe did some 70 shows a year, mostly sponsored by alumni chapters, and the group has raised more than $1 million for scholarships since its inception.

Today’s shows feature popular music from the past 40 years, including contemporary hits from Taylor Swift, One Direction, and the Broadway musical Hamilton — and every performance includes a tribute to the UW’s Fifth Quarter. The Singers also provide outreach to K–12 students at venues across the nation, answering questions about college life and talking up the benefits of getting involved in student organizations on campus.

Although most of the students are not music majors, many have gone on to entertainment careers, including actor Tom Wopat x’74, arranger Mac (Malcolm) Huff ’77, and opera singer Kitt Reuter-Foss ’79, MM’82.

The Singers will celebrate their 50-year milestone in November with a production at Madison’s Overture Center hosted by Siri Pinter Daly ’03, a Singers alumna and food editor for NBC’s Today show. For more information, visit wisconsinsingers.com.