Dr. Eric Esparza is the Director of Choral Studies at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, where he conducts the DePaul Chamber Choir, Concert Choir, and Symphonic Choir and teaches courses in choral music. Dr. Esparza serves as the Repertoire & Resources Chair for Lifelong Choruses on the Board of the Illinois-American Choral Directors Association, for whom he also chairs the Diversity Initiatives Committee. He is also on the Voice Faculty of the InterHarmony International Music Festival. Previously, Dr. Esparza was on the Voice and Choral faculty at Sam Houston State University. He also previously served as Artistic Director of Windy City Performing Arts, International Voices Houston, and the United Nations Association International Choir, and was the Director of Music Ministries at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas.
Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Esparza holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance as well as a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he studied with Dr. Joyce Farwell and Maestro Thomas Jaber. He also holds a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Florida State University, where he was a University Fellow. Dr. Esparza earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from Boston University, where he studied with Dr. Ann Howard Jones. He is a published arranger of choral music and an active editor of solo and vocal music from early manuscript and print sources. Dr. Esparza remains active internationally as a conductor, singer, voice teacher, and lecturer.