Rosephanye Powell

Hailing from Alabama, Dr. Rosephanye Dunn Powell has been hailed as one of America’s premier women composers of choral music. She has an impressive catalogue of works published by some of the nation’s leading publishers and her works have been conducted and premiered by nationally-renowned choral conductors. Her writing style is accessible for singers of all ages, making her a popular composer featured on Honor and All-State Choir Programs. Whether writing a short octavo-length piece or an extended work, her knowledge of the voice, voice leading, and her gift for melody ensure a high-quality composition.

Powell sang in choirs and played the piano and saxophone as a child. She later went on to pursue a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Alabama State University, a Masters degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College and a Doctorate of Music in Vocal Performance from Florida State University.

Prior to entering the world of composition, Powell was an active performer and champion of the works of William Grant Still and African American Spirituals. She is heralded as an expert in both fields and served as an editor and writer of the introduction for an anthology of Grant Still’s art songs. Her academic writings have been published in the NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) and ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) journals.

An accomplished singer and voice professor, Dr. Powell’s research focuses on the art of the African-American Spiritual and voice care concerns for voice professionals (specifically music educators, choral directors, and choral singers). She travels the country and internationally presenting lectures, song demonstrations, and serving as a workshop clinician, conductor, and adjudicator for solo vocal competitions/auditions, honor choirs, choral workshops and festivals.

-Adapted by Megan Maloney from: http://rosephanyepowell.com/biography/

This profile was expanded by Bo Shimmin in 2021 as part of The Savvy Singer, an EXCEL Lab course at the University of Michigan, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and a collaboration with the Hampsong Foundation via the Classic Song Research Initiative.