Dolce, Lehigh University Women’s Ensemble, performs a wide variety of repertoire from a cappella songs to extended works with orchestra. The 24 members of Dolce come from the University Choir and also are involved in many disciplines campus-wide. Dolce tours internationally with other ensembles in the Choral Arts program, most recently singing in and around Lisbon, Portugal.

Contact Dolce

We would love to hear from you! To keep in touch or for more information about the group, contact:

Vani Pyda, Dolce manager, vap311 [at] lehigh.edu

Find us on Facebook! Click here to join our group.

A Brief History of Dolce

The first women undergraduates were admitted to Lehigh in 1971 and with that a new women’s chorus was born. The Chamber Singers, or Bidlack’s Brigade as they were eventually known, became an active force on campus as well as off, regularly joining with men’s glee clubs from other universities. In 1979 the group was disbanded to join with the Lehigh University Glee Club to form what is today known as the University Choir.

After almost a 30-year absence, Dolce revives the women’s chorus tradition in the Lehigh Choral Arts program. Founded in 2007 by the women of the University Choir, Dolce, Lehigh University’s Women’s Ensemble, has already established itself in the music community. The group is directed by Debra Field, who has served as associate conductor of the University Choir since 1998 and who is also head of the voice program in the Lehigh Music Department.

In its short history, Dolce has begun to amass a repertoire ranging from Bach to the Andrews Sisters. The all-female chorus sings on most Choral Arts concerts and at venues in the surrounding area. In March of 2009, Dolce made its debut with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, joining forces with the Moravian College Women’s Choir to sing Fauré’s Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville. The ensemble offers the women of the University Choir an opportunity to explore the wealth of music written especially for women’s voices.