Ward Swingle

Ward Lamar Swingle ( born September 21, 1927 in Mobile, Alabama) is an American pianist, singer, head of the Swingle Singers and arranger.

Swingle was interested in jazz music already as a teenager. He played during his time in high school in the regional big bands. He then attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where he graduated with honors, and then moved to Paris to study with Walter Gieseking piano. Since 1959 he worked on the one hand in Mimi Perrin's vocal group Les Double Six and as a background singer in the studio, on the other hand, as the musical director of the Ballets de Paris. Bored with the Studio jobs that were offered to him as a singer, to Ward Swingle singers teamed up with the Double Six and founded by Blossom Dearie Blue Stars to sing their own arrangements of popular instrumentals. This Swingle Singers were very successful in business. When the original French occupation of the Swingle Singers disbanded in 1973, Swingle went to England, where he founded Swingle II, a follow-up ensemble that initially interpreted mainly English choral music, but also interpreted new music. 1985 Swingle returned back to the U.S., but acted more as a musical guide from Swingle II until 1994 he taught at North American universities. Occasionally, he also worked as a guest conductor, for example, with the Stockholm Chamber Choir, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, Dale Warland Singers, the, the Motettenchor the Sydney Philharmonic or the BBC Northern Singers.

In March 1994, he returned with his wife back to France. In recent years, he has written his autobiography and presented under the title Swingle Singing. In 2004 he was appointed an Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

The since 2000 in Graz at the International A Cappella Competition awarded Ward Swingle Award is named after Swingle for a cappella groups.