About Us
Mixed Company is Stanford's oldest coed a cappella group and performs pop, rock, and everything else that's on the radio. Featured on several Best of College A Cappella and Voices Only compilation albums, Mixed Company stays on the forefront of a cappella and recently completed their 11th studio album Yours Truly, which will be released this fall. In the previous school year, the group embarked upon a service through singing tour to New Orleans, where they performed for retirement homes, churches, and Boys and Girls Clubs, as well as opened for Ben Folds' concert at the L.A. Palladium last May. Performing anything from Alicia Keys to OneRepublic to Rascal Flatts to Queen, Mixed Company adds a splash of white, black, and cardinal red to any and every occasion.
Mixed Company was founded in the fall of 1985. The a cappella scene at Stanford was at the time limited to three groups: the all-male Mendicants and Fleet Street, and the all-female Counterpoint. Founding member Bonnie Zare, wanting to sing but dissatisfied with these options, posted flyers around campus soliciting anyone interested in joining a new “co-ed a cappella singing ensemble.” At about the same time, two other students, Gina DeLuca and Fritz Stewart, were thinking together on the potential coolness of a new, co-ed group. Bonnie beat Gina and Fritz to the poster punch, but they all quickly joined together and auditioned for singers.
Mixed Company soon became a popular presence on campus, performing frequently in dorms by the spring of 1986. Our first album, “The Loudest Voice Wins,” was recorded on campus in 1987 and featured a mix of studio tracks and live performances. Our signature concert – “Love Sucks,” the annual a cappella salute to Valentine’s Day – followed in 1988, and has been an increasingly popular tradition ever since. The group started out singing professional arrangements of pop standards, but quickly adopted original arrangements penned by Fritz and other members. Over the years, Mixed Company has seen many changes, but the groundwork laid by early members has helped the group retain a reputation for engaging live performances, cutting-edge recordings, creative and intricate arrangements and a unique musical style that makes us not just another cover band, but musicians in our own right.
