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As members around the nation watched the 2025 presidential inauguration ceremony, the powerful voices of a Midwestern ensemble filled the air. Among them was Jaime O’Neill, a Huron native and South ��ֱ���� State University School of Performing Arts alumnus. 

O’Neill is a 2023 music education graduate from the School of Performing Arts. Now a choral conducting graduate student at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, O’Neill was part of a group selected to perform at the 2025 presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. 

The flagship choir at UNL, the University Singers, was nominated for performance by Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer in December. Fischer, a member of the Joint Congressional Committee of Inaugural Ceremonies, requested to have members of her alma mater sing at the ceremony. 

The auditioned group usually consists of around 60 voices from a variety of majors and grade levels. For the inauguration performance, the University Singers opened the opportunity up to the men’s and women’s choirs at UNL to help bolster the number of voices to 120. 

Preparing for the trip, the University Singers received notice that they would perform accompanied by the prestigious United States Marine Band, a unique opportunity for collaboration on a national level. 

Beyond rehearsals, one of the biggest challenges in preparing for the performance was securing the funds needed for students to travel. Thanks to the generosity of donors, what once seemed like a financial hurdle became an opportunity, ensuring every student could take part in this unforgettable experience. 

“They wanted students to have the opportunity to go and experience something they will never forget,” O’Neill added. “We just showed up and sung our hearts out, which was amazing.” 

O’Neill could not have imagined how helpful he would be on performance day. Called upon by the conductor of the Marine Band, he received the opportunity to conduct the University Singers, alongside the U.S. Marine Band, in the Capitol rotunda. 

“I got to conduct my friends and peers, represent not only the University of Nebraska and the state of Nebraska, but those who trained me at South ��ֱ����,” O’Neill said. “I just felt so honored.” 

He continued, “It was an opportunity that was more than once in a lifetime because not everybody in their lifetime gets to not only attend an inauguration but be part of one.” 

To make the experience even more memorable, O’Neill was able to perform with his wife, Sylvia, who also attends UNL and is an SDSU alumna. 

O’Neill said being part of the transfer of power was truly something special. 

“We sung a piece called, ‘One Voice,’ all about unity,” O’Neill explained. “We thought what better than on the national and international stage than to have a whole bunch of college people singing about being unified and being stronger together than we are in conflict.”