Dr. Scott MacPherson

Conductor Scott MacPherson is Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities in the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music. In addition to conducting the Kent State Chorale and Kent Chorus, Dr. MacPherson leads the graduate choral conducting program. MacPherson has consistently earned praise for the high standards of performance of choirs under his direction. His programming blends a variety of musical styles ranging from early music through new works commissioned especially for him and his ensembles. MacPherson is in demand as a guest conductor, choral clinician, and adjudicator, and has extensive orchestral conducting experience. His research of contemporary choral music and choral teaching techniques in Germany have resulted in guest conducting appearances with the award-winning Modus Novus Chor based in Cologne, the Vokalensemble Kolner Dom of the Cologne Cathedral, as well as the male vocal ensemble Arcanum Musicae in Dresden.

His international reputation has also drawn acclaim in Taiwan, where he conducted collegiate choirs and led workshops in conducting, choral eurhythmics, and choral pedagogy at conferences in Pingtung City and Taipei. From 1993-2008, MacPherson served as the Director of Choral Activities at Trinity University in San Antonio, where he led his choirs on tours of Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria. His Trinity Choir had the distinction of performing at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in 2003 and the inaugural convention of the National Collegiate Choral Association in 2006. Before moving to San Antonio he served on the choral faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music where he was a colleague of the late Robert Fountain.

In addition to conducting the UW-Madison Chamber Singers, Madrigal Singers, and Early Music Ensemble, MacPherson taught graduate choral literature seminars and advanced choral conducting. MacPherson is the founding Artistic Director of the critically acclaimed San Antonio Chamber Choir, a professional ensemble of 24-30 voices. He is also the founding Artistic Director of the Isthmus Vocal Ensemble, a professional-grade choir of 50 voices based in Madison, Wisconsin. Under MacPherson's direction, IVE recorded a compact disc of award-winning composer Andrew Rindfleisch's choral works, which is available on the Clarion label.