Wyoming Seminary - The Arts

The Arts

Wyoming Seminary Upper School requires an art history and a music history course, offers multiple art and drawing courses, music courses, and chorale. Sem's campus has two art studios, a ceramics studio, and a darkroom on campus. Each trimester, the art students put their work up in The Great Hall for display and put their work up in the fall term in Nesbitt Hall for display. Every several months, photography students have a show in the Buckingham Performing Arts Center. Students are also allowed to work on arts projects during the summer at the Performing Arts Institute (PAI). Students interested in music, dance and musical theatre spend the 42-day session on campus, and are exposed to world renowned artists. Every year, PAI hosts a theatrical production at the F.M. Kirby Center in downtown Wilkes-Barre, including Two Gentlemen of Verona in 2010 and Gypsy in 2009. Renowned actor Austin Pendleton joined the PAI cast for the production of Gypsy.

The Upper School's Madrigal Singers, a 28-voice choral group, have gained recognition for their proficiency. The group has toured worldwide — touring Asia in 2006. In summer 2007 the group also toured in Germany through their host, The St. Lioba School in Bad Nauheim Germany. During the summer of 2009, the Madrigal Singers competed in an international choral competition in the Czech Republic. They entered 4 categories and won two gold and two silver medals. They continued this tour by singing in various locations throughout Slovakia and Hungary. In the summer of 2010, the group returned to Bad Nauheim to participate in the Festivokal singing festival. The group is under the direction of Sem performing and fine arts department chairman John M. Vaida, a member of the Sem faculty since the 1970s.

Orchestra, jazz band, chorale, and smaller ensembles are available for all students to participate in every year. Sem is the host for the Wyoming Seminary Civic Orchestra, founded by Jerome Campbell and now directed by Yoon Jae Lee, in which local students perform with local musicians. Pit-orchestra gives students the opportunity to work with local musicians as well.

The Upper School drama department, run by 1991 Sem graduate Jason Sherry, also has many participants at the school. Sem hosts a musical in the fall, an acting workshop in the winter, and a play in the spring. Auditions are open to all students regardless of their experience and, at times, is open to faculty as well.