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The American choral conductor and music pedagogue, Jamie Spillane, attended Robert E Fitch Sr High School in Groton, Connecticut and graduated class of 1977. He obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Ithaca College; his Master of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Connecticut; and his D.M.A. in Choral Conducting, Minor in Music Education from the University of Arizona. His conducting mentors include: Dr. Bruce Chamberlain, Dr. Peter Bagley, Dr. Paul Phillips, Professor Lawrence Doebler, and Dr. Robert Page.
Jamie Spillane was at the University of Arizona in Tucson. At the University of Arizona, Spillane was director of the Symphonic Choir, the premier undergraduate choir, the 125 voice University Community Chorus and orchestra, and UAVJE, the university vocal jazz ensemble as well as teaching undergraduate choral conducting. Spillane was also the Chancel Choir Director at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. For 14 years, he was chairman of the Ledyard High School Music Department in Ledyard, Connecticut where he directed a program that grew to over 400 singers in 12 choirs. These choirs performed throughout America and Europe and at state and division conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and Music Educators National Conference. During Spillane’s tenure, Ledyard High School was twice voted a Grammy Signature School as one of the top 100 high school music programs in the USA.
Jamie Spillane served at Iowa Wesleyan College where he directed three choirs, taught conducting and had a private voice studio. He also directed the Mount Pleasant Chorale, a college and community ensemble that often performed under his direction with the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra. Following that, he was director of Choral and Vocal Activities at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York where he directed the RWC Chorale, taught conducting and private voice students as well as conducting RWC Opera Theater’s production of The Marriage of Figaro.
Currently, Jamie Spillane is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Connecticut in Willington. He directs the University Choir and Chamber Choir and teaches undergraduate and graduate choral conducting and choral literature. In the summers, he has taught graduate choral conducting and choral literature at the University of Connecticut and Central Connecticut State University and directed a vocal jazz choir for talented high school students at Indiana State University.
The Chorale and the Iowa Wesleyan College Choir recently combined to perform the Iowa premier of Stephen Paulus’ To Be Certain of the Dawn - a Holocaust remembrance oratorio, other literature included: Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, W.A. Mozart’s Requiem, Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and J.S. Bach’s Magnificat in D major (BWV 243).
Jamie Spillane is a very active festival conductor, adjudicator, and clinician who enjoys working with choirs of all ages. He has conducted All-State or honor choirs in Connecticut, Colorado, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Indiana, Missouri, Arizona, North Dakota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Iowa and has presented interest sessions at state and divisional conventions. In 2009, Spillane directed All-State Mixed Choir in North Dakota and the All-State Jazz Choir in Iowa and in 2012 he conducted the Colorado All-State Choir.
In 2008, Jamie Spillane was honored by the faculty and students of Iowa Wesleyan College as the Chadwick Teacher of the Year. He is often listed in many Who’s Who publications. He has been very active in ACDA and MENC/NAfME. He is on the NAfME – National Board for Choral Music Education and is a Past President of the Connecticut Chapter of the ACDA as well as the Eastern Division R & S Chair for Vocal Jazz and Show Choir. He was also the chair of the 2011 Iowa Choral Directors Assoc. Summer Symposium and Convention in Mason City, Iowa. Jamie Spillane and his wife Linda are the proud parents of two sons, J.B. & Colin. |
