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Dr. Jonathan Babcock

Interim Director of Choral Activities

Throughout his career as a performer, clinician and educator Jonathan Babcock has developed a strong, personal style of leadership that inspires, educates and challenges. A Professor at Texas State University, he conducts the Texas State Chorale and Men's Choir, and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in choral conducting, literature and pedagogy. Prior to coming to Texas State, Babcock served as Associate Professor at the Conservatory of Music, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

Throughout his career Babcock has been privileged to work with world-class artists such as Richard Tucker Award winner Stephanie Blythe, and Tony Award winner Victoria Clark. He has conducted concerts in highly esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall, New York City; The Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing, China and The St. Thomas Church, Leipzig, Germany. Additionally, he has lead performances at American Choral Directors Association, Texas Music Educators Association and New York State School Music Association conventions. Working as an advocate for contemporary choral music, he has overseen the commissioning of new works by composers such as Paul Moravec, David Del Tredici, John Conahan and Stephen Paulus.

Performance highlights include the choral theater work The Greatest Generation, THE BEATS! featuring the world premiere of John Conahan’s setting of the epic Allen Ginsburg poem Howl; a performance tour of China featuring a performance of the Mozart Requiem in the Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing; a performance tour of Germany and the Czech Republic as part of the of the 500th Anniversary celebration of Martin Luther’s theses; a fully staged performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and an interactive, multimedia concert celebrating the music of the Republic of Georgia.

As an educator and scholar Babcock has presented workshops and lectures throughout the United States and the world. In 2016 he presented at the ACDA National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota; in 2015 he presented “Less is More: Optimizing Your Conducting Technique” at the Texas Music Educators Association convention; In 2014 he presented a workshop on choral techniques for instrumental conductors for the National Convention of the Collegiate Orchestra Directors Association; and in 2013 Babcock travelled to Tel Aviv, Israel as an artist-in-residence at Lehman College of Education at Tel Aviv University. In addition to performing and lecturing, Babcock has contributed several articles to the American Choral Journal on Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, as well as the last interview with the late Maestro Richard Westenburg.

Babcock received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam where he studied conducting with Brock McElheran and voice with Patricia Misslin; and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Hartt School, University of Hartford where he studied conducting with Paul E. Oakley and Edward Bolkovac.