Amanda Quist is Director of Choral Activities for the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. She obtained her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Western Michigan University (2000); her Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting summa cum laude from Western Michigan University (2006), and her Doctor of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas (2008).
Amanda has held positions on the faculties of Western Michigan University, Michigan State University, and the University of North Texas, and she served as associate conductor for the Denton Bach Society in Texas. Before pursuing her graduate degrees, she taught in the Michigan public and private school systems and was conductor of the North American Choral Company’s Midwest Chorale, a professional touring children’s choir. After obtaining her DMA degree, she was Director of Choral Activities at San José State University (2008-2010).
From 2010 to 2019, Amanda Quist served as Chair of the Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Department, and Associate Professor of Conducting at Westminster Choir College. As a member of the Westminster Choir College faculty, she conducted the Westminster Chapel Choir and Westminster Kantorei and taught graduate and undergraduate conducting. She taught Techniques of Conducting and Group Vocal Techniques. She also shared conducting responsibilities for the Westminster Symphonic Choir with Joe Miller. She was director of the Westminster Vocal Institute, a highly regarded summer program for talented high school students, and a member of the summer faculty for the Westminster Choral Festival and Westminster Chamber Choir programs.
She was the recipient of Westminster Choir College of Rider University’s 2014 Distinguished Teaching Award, the 2018 Mazzotti Award for Women’s Leadership, and she is the Carol F. Spinelli Conducting Fellow. She was invited to be a conductor for the ACDA International Exchange Program, clinician for the 2019 ASPIRE International Youth Music Festival in Australia, juror for the Penabur International Choir Festival in Indonesia, and clinician for the Interkultur International Choral Festival. Westminster Kantorei, winner of the 2018 American Prize in College & University Choral Performance, has performed at the American Choral Directors Association’s (ACDA) Eastern Division Conference, Boston Early Music Festival, American Handel Festival, and Interkultur. The choir recently released its first commercial recording, “Lumina”, distributed by Naxos, which was hailed by infodad.com as a recording “sung with great beauty of sound and excellent articulation … a CD to cherish” and by National Medal of Arts recipient Morten Lauridsen as “superb, a splendid recording, highly recommended.”
During her work with the Westminster Symphonic Choir during the 2011-2012 season, Amanda Quist collaborated with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker, and the Dresden Staatskapelle. She also premiered new works for the ensemble’s women and the Westminster Festival Orchestra by composers Ola Gjeilo and Tarik O’Regan. She also serves as Chorus Master for the Philadelphia Orchestra Chorus. Her role as Chorus Master for the premiere of Toshio Hosokawa’s opera Matsukaze at the Spoleto Festival USA and the Lincoln Center Festival garnered praise from The New York Times and Charleston City Paper, who described the chorus’ performance as “beautifully prepared, gripping,” a “gossamer web of voices” and “bridging the vocal and instrumental textures with perfect intonation.”
Amanda Quist’s other honors include the James Mulholland National Choral Award and the Audrey Davidson Early Music Award. An active guest conductor and clinician, her recent appearances include the NAfME All National Honor Choir, All State High School & Collegiate Honor Choirs throughout the country, and serving as a headliner for music conferences in the USA and abroad. Other events include the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) Regional Honor Choir, the Middle School Men’s “Vocal Thunder” Honor Choir, and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Southwestern Division Conference’s SSAA Honor Choir. She served as an adjudicator for the Pennsylvania ACDA Conference conducting competition and Northern Arizona University’s Madrigal Festival. She is the National ACDA R&S Chair for Youth and Student Activities. She is the National ACDA Repertoire & Resources Coordinator for Collegiate Activities, and her choral series is published through Walton Music.