About Amelia

Bio: Amelia Nagoski studies the influence of a conductor’s mind on the body at the University of Connecticut, where she is a doctoral student in conducting.  Her singers there describe her as passionate, positive, and boundlessly enthusiastic.  Her interest in the brain-body relationship in artists began amid the spirit of communal music-making at Westminster Choir College while she was earning her MM in choral conducting there.  While she was an undergraduate at the University of Delaware, her intense curiosity and commitment resulted in her being honored as a semi-finalist in the 1999 ACDA National Student Conducting Awards.  After completing her BM, Ms. Nagoski applied her high spirits to teaching high school choral and general music.  She is a contributing author to James Jordan’s Evoking Sound: The Choral Rehearsal, Vol. I; Teaching Music Through Performance in Choir Volumes II and III; as well as the Choral Journal.



EDUCATION
Doctorate of Musical Arts: Conducting; University of Connecticut, ant. 2012
Master of Music: Choral Conducting; Westminster Choir College, December 2005
Bachelor of Music: Music Education--Choral/General; University of Delaware, 1999

Seminars
Westminster Chamber Choir; Joe Miller; 2009.
Choral Conducting for High School Teachers; The Hartt School; Edward Bolkovac and Stuart Younse; 2003
The Humane Choral Conductor; Westminster Choir College; James Jordan; 2000
Choral Conducting; Eastman School of Music; Dale Warland & Bill Weinert; 1998
Multi-Faceted Conductor; University of Michigan; Jerry Blackstone & Sandra Snow; 1998

CONDUCTING EXPERIENCE

Assistant Conductor; University of Connecticut Concert Choir and Women's Chorus, August 2009-present

Minister of Music; Middlebury Congregational Church, September 2006-present

Director of Music; Connecticut Yankee Chorale, September 2006-present
Conductor; University of Connecticut Festival Chorus, August 2008-May 2009

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Diction Coach; Teaching Music Through Performance Reference Recordings; GIA Music, 2006
Instructor; Westminster Vocal Institute; July 2005 & 2006
Choral Director; Seymour High School; August 2001-June 2004
Music Teacher; The Hun School of Princeton; August 1999-June 2001

PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS 

Nagoski, Amelia. 2011, "Tai Chi for Conductors."  American Choral Directors Association National Conference, Chicago, IL

Nagoski, Amelia.  2010, "Neuroscience and Method Acting."  Connecticut Music Educators Association Annual Conference, Hartford, CT. 

Nagoski, Amelia. "Thoughtful Gesture: A Model of Conducting as Empathic Communication."  Choral Journal, April 2010: pp. 18-30.

 

Nagoski, Amelia.  Reviews including "Vus vet zayn," arr. Stephen Hatfield, and Thomas Morely's "Sing we and chant it." Teaching Music Through Performance in Choir, Vol. III.  Ed. Matthew Mehaffey.  Chicago: GIA Music.  (In press.)

 

Nagoski, Amelia.  “Mode and Method: A Choral Conductor’s Guide to Concert Performance Practice of Sacred Harp.”  Choral Journal, October 2006: pp. 38-47

Nagoski, Amelia.  Reviews including Javier Busto’s “Ave Maria,” Aaron Copland’s “Sing Ye Praises,” “Ka Hia Manu,” arr. Stephen Hatfield, Moses Hogan’s “Battle of Jericho” and "I Am His Child," Ronaldo Mirando‘s Suite Nordestina, and Jose Rincon's "Bullerengue," Teaching Music Through  Performance in Choir, Vol. II.  Ed. Matthew Mehaffey.  Chicago: GIA Music, 2007.

 

Jordan, James.  Evoking Sound: The Choral Rehearsal.   "Teaching diction."  Chicago: GIA Music, 2007.
Mendelssohn, Felix.  Drei Motteten für weibliche Stimmen, ed. Amelia Nagoski.  Chicago: GIA Music, 2007.

Mendelssohn, Felix.  “Herr wir Trau’n,” from Drei Geistliche Lieder, ed. Amelia Nagoski.  Chicago: GIA Music, 2007.

Stravinsky, Igor.  Four Russian Peasant Songs, ed. Amelia Nagoski.  Chicago: GIA Music, 2007.

SINGING EXPERIENCE
Alto I/Soprano II; Anam Cara, Philadelphia, PA; June 2006-August 2009
Section Leader; Center Church Choir; Hartford, CT; January-May 2006

Alto I; Westminster Kantorei; Princeton, NJ; August-December 2005
Alto I; Spoleto Festival Opera Chorus; Charleston, SC; May-June 2005
Alto I; Westminster Williamson Voices; Princeton, NJ; August 2004-December 2005
Soprano II; Westminster Symphonic Choir; Princeton, NJ; August 2004-June 2005


CERTIFICATIONS
Connecticut: 049, Choral/General 
Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi: Tai Chi Easy Practice Leader