Dr. Jeffrey Gemmell

            Dr. Jeffrey Gemmell is Assistant Professor of Choral Studies at Millersville University, where he conducts University Choir, Chorale, and the Cantilina Women’s Chorus. He also teaches Vocal-Choral Pedagogy and Applied Voice. Dr. Gemmell previously served on the faculty of the College of Music at the University of Colorado Boulder. He joined the College of Music faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2009 and served as Associate Director of Choral Studies. He conducted University Choir and taught Graduate Choral Symposium and Advanced Choral Conducting, and was the Artistic Director of the annual Holiday Festival concert. His research interests include vocal-choral pedagogy, kinesthetic rehearsal techniques, historical performance practice, music editing, and instructional technology related to choral music. He has been an active member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), presenting numerous workshops, presentations and published articles for state organizations in Colorado, Pennsylvania, California, and New York.

            Previously, Dr. Gemmell was Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Music at the Millersville University of Pennsylvania where, from 2006 to 2009, he conducted University Choir, Chorale, Marauder Men’s Chorus and Women’s Choir. He also taught studio voice, choral-vocal pedagogy, choral methods, and conducting. He was the founding producer of the Music Department’s scholarship fundraiser, “Glorious Sounds of the Season,” a tradition he began and borrowed from his previous position at California State University, Chico. From 1999 to 2006, Dr. Gemmell held a similar position as Director of Choral Activities (Associate Professor) at Chico State. Under his direction, Chico State choirs participated in regional and national tours, performed each year for the Chico Bach Festival he established with musicologist and organist David Rothe and worked with such notable choral luminaries as Joseph Jennings (Chanticleer), Paul Hillier (Theater of Voices) and Anonymous 4. The choirs also specialized in performing premieres by contemporary composers and encouraged student composers with regular performances (and eventual publication) of their original works.

            Prior to teaching at Chico State, Dr. Gemmell conducted choirs and taught related courses at Ithaca College (1997-99) and Cornell University (sabbatical replacement, 1999) in Ithaca, New York. He received his D.M.A. in the Literature and Performance of Choral Music from the University of Colorado at Boulder (1997) and, while completing his doctoral work, was a visiting professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver (1995-97), where he taught studio voice, vocal pedagogy and musically directed musicals. Dr. Gemmell holds an MM in Music Education (1988) and an Artist’s Diploma in Voice (1989) from Northwestern University. He completed a BME in Music Education at Towson University (1984) and attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.

            Jeffrey Gemmell spent nearly a decade teaching music at the middle and high school levels before pursuing advanced degrees and college-level teaching. Through his work with such leaders in the field as Lynn Whitten, Larry Kaptein, Joan Conlon, Bennett Reimer, Peter Webster, Richard Alderson, Joseph Flummerfelt, and Frauke Hasseman, Gemmell’s primary research emphasis has been on the development of innovative and creative rehearsal strategies, especially movement-related techniques, to improve singing and artistry. Dr. Gemmell is in high demand as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician.

            As a performer, Dr. Gemmell is an accomplished Baritone and studied voice with Ruth Drucker, Norman Gulbrandsen, Alan Seale and Barbara Doscher. Recent solo vocal work has included various recitals and performances of major choral-orchestral works including Brahms’ Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Vaughan William’s Hodie, Handel’s Messiah, and cantatas by J. S. Bach. In addition, Dr. Gemmell is has been an Organist and Choir Director for over three decades and is the Director of Music Ministries at Lititz Moravian Congregation, Lititz, Pennsylvania.

 

Please visit Dr. Gemmell's blog for more information: https://gemmell-posts.com/