New Choir Director Joins Music Department

Nicolás Alberto Dosman has joined the UC Davis Department of Music as director of choirs and assistant professor of teaching. He will lead the Concert Choir, a large mixed ensemble, and the Chamber Singers, a select ensemble of 16 to 24 students. He will lead his first concert at UC Davis on Dec. 8.

Most recently, Dosman was associate professor of music and director of choral studies at the University of Southern Maine, Osher School of Music. During his time there, the USM Chamber Singers performed at the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Region Conference, the Osher Choral Union made its Carnegie Hall debut and the USM Chamber Singers were finalists for the American Prize in Choral Performance.

Dosman holds a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University; a master’s degree from Florida State University; and a bachelor's  degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music. The son of Panamanian immigrants, he grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and Dover, Delaware.

“I am looking forward to working with a phenomenal community with an outstanding reputation and resources,” he said. “I am certain that UC Davis is a place where excellence is the rule and not an exception.”

Get to Know Nicolás Alberto Dosman

• Q: What's your musical background?

  A: “I am a Panamanian-American, the son of immigrants who came to this country to make a better life for me and my brother. My household was full of music from my earliest childhood; however, most of the music was informal. My father was a radio producer and sang in the church choir, so music was always around. My household was filled with the sounds of Panama, which includes a variety of musical styles: salsa, merengue, soca, calypso, reggae, bachata, mento and many other Caribbean and Latino genres. Additionally, my uncle was an accomplished jazz pianist.” ​​​​

  Q: How did you get interested in choral music and conducting?

  A: “The first time I studied music formally was in the second grade, but due to my family’s relocation to Delaware I had to stop, but began again in the school band in fifth grade playing trumpet. I knew then that I wanted to conduct — I thought I was going to be a school band director. Vocal music became a part of my life in high school when I begrudgingly joined the school choir, recruited by a friend because the choir needed more boys. I realized that I could really sing and developed a love for choral music and shifted my focus to choral/vocal music. My interest developed and evolved after participating in an All-State choir that year and began to develop a passion for singing and choral music.” 

  Q: What's important to you when developing concert programming?

  A: “One of my favorite works of all time is Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem. I also love the music of living composers as there is a unique opportunity to truly hear from the composer and gain insight. In my opinion, art has always reflected society in some form. Music can be a direct reflection and make clear sociopolitical statements, or it can be a snapshot into a specific moment in time. For me, programming works that make a statement about our time is important, especially in academic settings. Some things that are important for me when considering what to program include diversity of composers (across styles, genres, gender and ethnicity), the performers’ experience, and of course the music’s impact on our audience.”