Skip to main content

Albrecht ’76 Honored as a University of Miami Distinguished Alumni

Composer and musician Sally Albrecht ’76 has been recognized for an extraordinary career spanning more than four decades.

By Stephanie Rizzo ’09

May 05, 2022

Image of https://cdn.sanity.io/images/qe2ul2l0/production/bc423a96ffc573dad313b098420b89c4bd7803e7-2000x1333.jpg?auto=format&fit=max&q=68&w=203 203w, https://cdn.sanity.io/images/qe2ul2l0/production/bc423a96ffc573dad313b098420b89c4bd7803e7-2000x1333.jpg?auto=format&fit=max&q=68&w=405 405w, https://cdn.sanity.io/images/qe2ul2l0/production/bc423a96ffc573dad313b098420b89c4bd7803e7-2000x1333.jpg?auto=format&fit=max&q=68&w=608 608w, https://cdn.sanity.io/images/qe2ul2l0/production/bc423a96ffc573dad313b098420b89c4bd7803e7-2000x1333.jpg?auto=format&fit=max&q=68&w=810 810w, https://cdn.sanity.io/images/qe2ul2l0/production/bc423a96ffc573dad313b098420b89c4bd7803e7-2000x1333.jpg?auto=format&fit=max&q=68&w=1215 1215w, https://cdn.sanity.io/images/qe2ul2l0/production/bc423a96ffc573dad313b098420b89c4bd7803e7-2000x1333.jpg?auto=format&fit=max&q=68&w=1620 1620w

Sally Albrecht ’76 received the University of Miami Frost School of Music’s Distinguished Alumni Award, which celebrates alumni whose professional career accomplishments serve as an inspiration to generations of students. The award was presented during the Frost Chorale’s farewell concert, during which Albrecht conducted a performance of her double choir composition Gloria Patri.

Albrecht graduated from Rollins with a double major in music and theater before receiving her MA in drama from the University of Miami in 1977 and her MM in accompanying in 1979.

An accomplished composer, conductor, and clinician, Albrecht has performed at numerous iconic venues, including the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center. One of her most beloved compositions was performed at the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama. More recently, her composition Domine Deus was sung by the Archdiocesan Children’s Choir as the Pope arrived in Philadelphia.

Sally Albrecht ’76 with Frost School of Music Dean Shelton Berg.
Sally Albrecht ’76 with Frost School of Music Dean Shelton Berg. | Courtesy Sally Albrecht ’76

Throughout her 40-plus-year career, Albrecht has produced more than 600 popular choral publications, plus multiple elementary songbooks, musicals, and instructional DVDs. She has taught in the music departments at Oakland University, Jersey City State College, and Meredith College. She is a member of Rollins’ Cloverleaf Society and previously served on the President’s Leadership Council. Albrecht and her husband, composer and arranger Jay Althouse, currently reside in Raleigh, North Carolina.

This is not the first time an alma mater has recognized Albrecht for her enormous accomplishments. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Rollins in 2021.


Recent Stories

May 19, 2029

DO NOT PUBLISH Rollins President Brooke Barnett Co-Authors Inside Higher Ed Essay on Evaluating Advancement Teams

Rollins President Brooke Barnett co-authored an Inside Higher Ed essay offering academic leaders a framework for evaluating institutional advancement teams.

DO NOT PUBLISH Rollins President Brooke Barnett Co-Authors Inside Higher Ed Essay on Evaluating Advancement Teams

May 23, 2026

A Legacy of Learning

Rollins’ friendly learning environment inspired Ann Berlam ’69 to a career in public service. Now, her estate will create an endowed scholarship fund that will help future Tars follow in her footsteps.

A Legacy of Learning

May 23, 2026

Built for What’s Next

Step inside a Rollins classroom, where personalized, hands-on learning produces graduates fluent in the skills employers value most.

Built for What’s Next