TMEA 2017 Professional Development Conference Program

TMEA SELECTED PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLES // FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017
Rock City in Lookout Mountain, Georgia and the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
They have been featured performers at the Candlelight Christmas Evenings at the Biltmore
Estate in Asheville, NC for twenty-five years. Made up of 55 female singers from across the
Lee undergraduate population, the choir performs a variety of a cappella and accompanied
sacred literature, drawing from standard choral repertoire, traditional hymns, spirituals, and
gospel songs, and recent evangelical Christian music.
Jonathan Rodgers is Assistant Professor of Choral Conducting in Lee University’s
School of Music. He is the conductor of the Ladies of Lee and Choral Union, and his
teaching responsibilities include teaching choral conducting and literature classes,
overseeing the choral conducting curriculum, and supervising choral conductors in
the graduate program. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Rodgers holds a Bachelor of
Music in Music Education degree and Master of Music in Church Music degree from
Samford University, studying conducting and church music with Milburn Price and Paul
Richardson. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting
at the University of Southern Mississippi, studying conducting with Gregory Fuller
and John Flanery. His scholarly research and dissertation examines the choral singing
tradition of Estonia and, specifically, the choral folksongs of Estonian composer Cyrillus
Kreek.
While at Southern Miss, Rodgers was assistant director of the Women’s Chorus and
rehearsal assistant and accompanist for the flagship ensemble, the Southern Chorale.
In addition, he was accompanist for the Southern Hymn Festival (under the direction
of Mack Wilberg), continuo player and rehearsal assistant for USM’s presentation of
the Bach B Minor Mass, pianist on recordings of the music of James Mulholland, and
pianist and rehearsal assistant for the Carnegie Hall premiere and recording of Edwin
Penhorwood’s An American Requiem.
As a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Rodgers has been
guest speaker and presenter at the 2011 National ACDA Convention in Chicago and
state MEA conferences in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia. He has also given
presentations at Baylor University’s Alleluia, Youthcue Choirs Inc., and Student Music
Metro Conferences. In addition, Rodgers was featured as a masterclass conductor with
Helmuth Rilling at the 2015 National ACDA Convention in Salt Lake City. Previously,
he has been a guest conductor for honor choirs in Tennessee, Georgia, and Louisiana
and YouthCue Choirs summer festival choir in Washington DC. Upcoming guest
conducting appearances will be in Alabama and Georgia. Currently, Rodgers is a regular
article contributor for YouthCue Choirs, Inc. and their online service, CueWeb, serving
directors of church student choirs. He is also on the editorial board for Creator, ACDA’s
journal for Music in Worship.
In addition to his conducting and scholarly activities, Jonathan is an active pianist,
church musician, and arranger. His choral arrangements have been published with
Walton Music, Pavane, and Colla Voce and performed by high schools, colleges, and
churches across the nation. His works have been performed at Kentucky All- ‐State,
ACDA Conventions, and most recently at Carnegie Hall. Rodgers’ works have also been
featured on recordings by the Brigham Young University Women’s Chorus and The
Southern Chorale of the University of Southern Mississippi.
Jonathan has been married to his wife Alicia for thirteen years, and they live in
Cleveland, Tennessee with their three children: Savannah, Leighton, and Brooks.
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