The Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music congratulates Dr. Randal Rushing on his retirement after 33 years on faculty. Rushing has led a distinguished career spanning five decades as a leading lyric tenor, performing a widely-varied body of repertoire on opera and concert stages worldwide.
Rushing has shared his talents as an accomplished soloist on the concert and opera stage locally, nationally and internationally. As a recipient of the Rotary International Foundation Scholarship, Rushing studied at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Rheinland in Köln, Germany. His many achievements include performances like the recitals of the music of Ralph Vaughan-Williams in Croyden, London, and performances in Washington, D.C. as a soloist in Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Stephan Albert’s Treestone with the 21st Century Consort at the Smithsonian Institute.
Rushing received his American training and degrees from the University of North Texas and Arkansas Tech University. He was named winner of the American Opera Auditions in New York, and after winning the Shreveport Singer of the Year Award, appeared as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Shreveport Opera.
In addition to his contributions to the field of applied voice, the School of Music has been fortunate to have benefitted from such a resilient faculty member committed to its driven students and burgeoning music opportunities. He joined the voice faculty of the University of Memphis in 1990, where he served as Director of the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music from 2008-2015 before returning to full-time faculty status as Professor of Voice. During his tenure as the School of Music Director, he shepherded the school through challenging times, including the 2008 economic downturn no less and helped ensure that the School of Music continued to move forward.
His contributions to his field, his students, and our institution have left a legacy any of us would be proud of.
Please join us in celebrating Rushing for his indelible service to the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, the College of Communication and Fine Arts and the University of Memphis. We wish him the absolute best in his well-deserved retirement. Near the end of the spring semester, we will host a celebration of his time and service on campus.