Dorothy Crum

is honored with a Medium Paver from the Westwood Presbyterian Church Choir

Teacher, singer, and conductor, Dr. Dorothy Crum, Professor of Voice came from New England to Wichita State University in 1973. She holds a BA in Education from Barrington College, Rhode Island, her home state; a MM in vocal performance from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and a DMA in performance and pedagogy from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Since 1973, she has taught voice, diction, and oratorio literature in the College of Fine Arts. In 1992, she became chair of the voice/choral areas, initiating the annual voice clinic for Kansas high school vocalists and founded Artscape, the College of Fine Arts fundraiser. In 2003, she became the director and a master teacher for the summer study abroad opera program “Canta in Italia” held in Florence, Italy. Her students have gone on to professional international careers in opera (Houston Grand, Israel Opera, Germany opera houses) and teaching at major universities in the United States.

“Frasquita” in Carmen and “Lucy” in The Telephone are among her favorite operatic roles. But her deep love of singing is found in exploring new vocal works from 1980’s to the present. She revels in the “stream of consciousness” approach of John Cage and George Crumb for example. With her faculty colleagues, she formed the Sotto Voce Trio (saxophone, piano and voice) in 1985. The trio has become a nationally know group performing newly commissioned works by Meyer Kupfermann, and Ken Bales, for example. Their signature piece, SHAPES AND SOUNDS IV composed for the trio by Christina Kuzmych received first place in the International Composers Competition. The trio performs annually at the Contemporary Music festival and travels across the United States to National Conventions and universities premiering their unique repertoire.

After conducting the concert choir from Colby College in New Hampshire and taking the group to sing in Boston Symphony Hall (1970-1973), she continued her love of conducting in Wichita by taking over the Wichita Choral Society in 1983 as well as the choir at Westwood Presbyterian church. Under her baton, both choirs thrived. The Wichita Choral Society which she conducted for 12 years, continued the tradition of performing the Messiah annually at Christmas with area as well as national soloists. The Society toured France and England, sang a combined choral concert with the WSU choirs under the direction of Robert Shaw, broadened the Spring concerts to include orchestra (Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem) and an occasional staged work (Wind In the Willows by John Rutter). Besides her dedication to teaching, she also has a strong penchant for animal rights and environmental preservation. She shares her home with John Ellert, husband and fine arts photographer along with 4 cats.