Dr. Mark Simmons D.M.A., Associate Professor Director of Choirs Office: Clement Hall 450/451 Phone: (731) 881-7412 Email: marks@utm.edu Web: www.utm.edu/choirs

Mark Simmons is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Tennessee at Martin where he conducts the campus-wide University Singers as well as the auditioned 40- voice touring choir, the New Pacer Singers. In addition, he teaches advanced choral conducting and secondary choral methods for music education majors.In 2007 he received the Junior Faculty of the Year Award by the College of Humanities and Fine Arts in recognition of his teaching. Prior to his position at UTM, he served as Head of Vocal Music Education at the University of Evansville, Director of Choral Activities at Briar Cliff University, and Assistant Professor of Music at Ithaca College.

Focused on program development, Simmons has had two articles recently published in the Choral Journal on the subject. Since coming to UTM in 2004, the vocal area within the Department of Music has enjoyed an 8-fold increase in vocal majors and significant growth in the ensembles resulting in annual concert tours that have taken the choirs to 14 states with performance venues such as the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA and Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. Further, Simmons has delivered presentations at regional and state conferences on topics as varied as "using repertoire as a musical textbook" and "rebuilding a choral program from scratch". He has also guest conducted a variety of festivals, most recently the Mid-State Mixed Choir in Tennessee and the 2010 West Virginia All-State Chamber Choir.

Mark has engaged in significant conducting studies with Janet Galvan, David Effron, Alfred Mann, David Stocker, and Timothy Koch. He has further been involved in extensive masterclasses with Doreen Rao, Helmuth Rilling, and Otto-Werner Mueller focusing on choral/orchestral score study and conducting technique. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Ithaca College, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Arizona State University.

He lives in Martin, Tennessee with his wife, Amy, who is Associate Professor of Music at UTM teaching clarinet and saxophone, and their two beagles, Henry and Phoebe.