William C. Powell Collection Features

About the William C. Powell Collection

William C. Powell

William C. Powell serves as the Charles W. Barkley Endowed Professor of Music and director of choral activities. He conducts the Chamber Choir, Men’s Chorus, Concert Choir, and Gospel Choir, and he teaches choral-related courses. 

Powell has guest conducted and has taken the AU Choirs on tour through various parts of the United States and abroad, including Ireland, Australia, Italy, and Eastern Europe. He serves as a frequent adjudicator for choral festivals such as Festival Disney. Powell has given lecture-presentations for conferences affiliated with the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses, College Music Society, Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, and the National Society of Music in Technology.

Since 2018, Powell contributes choral music reviews for Ala Breve, the official publication of the Alabama Music Educators Association. His own choral arrangements are published by Hal Leonard Corporation, Gentry Publications, and Oxford University Press through which he and his wife, Rosephanye Powell co-edited a collection entitled Spirituals for Upper Voices. Additionally, he is editor for “The William Powell Choral Series” published by Gentry Publications.

Powell serves on the National Board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) as a southern region representative. He is also an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, having held past positions as the Repertoire and Standards Chair of the Committee on Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives for the both the southwestern and southern divisions. He also holds memberships with the National Association for Music Education, and the American Society of Composers and Publishers. He and his wife, Rosephanye, have two daughters: Camille and Kaitlyn.