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The American Choral conductor and music pedagogue, Christopher Jackson, received his Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Oklahoma State University (2001-2006), studying conducting under Dr. Dirk Garner (Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival). He received his Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College of Rider University (August 2009-June 2011), and was the graduate assistant conductor of the Westminster Symphonic Choir under Dr. Joe Miller and Dr. Amanda Quist, as well as studying with Dr. Andrew Megill (Carmel Bach Festival, Illinois Bach Academy). He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas (2011-2013), studying with Dr. Gerry McCoy and Dr. Richard Sparks. His areas of research include the programming and performance of Baroque and Renaissance Music for choirs of all ages and levels of experience, as well as the choral music of Benjamin Britten.
Christopher Jackson begins his tenure having worked for 15 years as a conductor, educator, professional singer, and scholar. Throughout his career he has led numerous collegiate, professional, and amateur ensembles across the USA and works frequently as a guest conductor for orchestras, choirs, and festivals. His ensembles have toured China, Canada, and the continental USA and have been selected to perform at multiple Pennsylvania ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) conferences. During his tenure at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania (July 2013-July 2022), he co-founded the Lycoming Baroque Choir and Orchestra and designed academic courses that allowed students to travel to Germany and explore links between Baroque music, art and architecture. He has taught courses and master-classes in conducting, music theory, music history, vocal methods and pedagogy, and Baroque performance practice and has been a guest artist and lecturer at the San Juan Conservatory, the Coro de Niños de San Juan, and the Baldwin-Wallace College Bach Festival. He was recently nominated as a finalist for the American Prize in Virtual Performance for his work with the Muhlenberg choral ensembles during the pandemic.
Christopher Jackson remains an active professional choral singer and soloist, with focuses in Baroque, Renaissance, and Modern eras. As a core member of the Boston-based chamber choir, Skylark (since August 2014), he has appeared on three GRAMMY nominated albums (Best Choral Performance), and also serves as the ensemble's Director of Education. In that position, he helped design free materials for music educators across the country to use for virtual music-making. He has performed with GRAMMY Award-Winning ensemble, Roomful of Teeth, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Artefact Ensemble, Les Canards Chantants, Bach Choir of Holy Trinity Lutheran, in New York City.
Christopher Jackson was recently appointed Artistic Director & Conductor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem. He will lead Bach Choir of Bethlehem in its 125th Anniversary year, the 2022-2023 Season (since July 2022), following the retirement Greg Funfgeld, Artistic Director and Conductor Emeritus. He currently lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania. |
