It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Ward Swingle.
Born in Alabama, Ward Swingle studied music, particularly jazz, from a very young age and went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Following graduation, he moved to France, where he became a founding member of Les Double Six of Paris. He went on to found The Swingle Singers whose recordings have since won five Grammy Awards. His pioneering ideas in new choral techniques produced invitations to conduct many of the best choirs around the world and to give lectures at prestigious institutions worldwide. He also formed a publishing company, Swingle Music, to disseminate his printed arrangements.
On February 20, 2004, Swingle was named “Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” (Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Minister of Culture and Information.
The Swingle Singers: Remember Ward Swingle