Dr. Jeffrey Gemmell is a new faculty member at Millersville University, having arrived in the Fall of 2006 as Director of Choral Activities. Prior to his appointment here, Dr. Gemmell held a similar position at California State University, Chico for seven years, where he conducted three university choirs and taught Studio Voice, Vocal Pedagogy, Secondary School Vocal Techniques, and Advanced Choral Conducting. Under his direction, Chico State Choirs participated in regional and national tours, performed each year for the newly established Chico Bach Festival, 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 new music by contemporary composers through direct collaboration and encouraged student composers with regular performances (and eventual publication) of their original works. In 2002, the Chico State Chamber Singers commissioned San Diego composer Bradley Nelson to compose a three movement work to commemorate 9/11/01. For Whom the Bell Tolls received its premiere in a joint performance with CSU, Fresno during the California Music Educators Association convention in Pasadena in 2003.

Prior to teaching at Chico State, Dr. Gemmell conducted choirs and taught similar courses at Ithaca College and Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He received his D.M.A. in the Literature and Performance of Choral Music from University of Colorado at Boulder. While completing his doctoral work, he was a visiting professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver and conducted two choirs at CU, Boulder: Collegiate Chorale and Men’s Chorus. Dr. Gemmell holds advanced degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Northwestern University. He completed his undergraduate degree in Music Education at Towson University (Towson, Maryland) and attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.

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 performances include various recitals and a number 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 an experienced Organist and Choir Director and has been a church musician for almost three decades.

Dr. Gemmell spent nearly ten years 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 Larry Kaptein, Lynn Whitten, Joan Conlon, Bennett Reimer, Peter Webster, Joseph Flummerfelt, and Richard Alderson, Dr. Gemmell’s research emphasis has been on the development of innovative and creative rehearsal strategies, especially movement-related techniques to improve singing and artistry. Jeffrey Gemmell is in high demand as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician.