Choral Festival Clinicians

Muskingum’s Choral Leadership Day is a workshop for high school singers and their choral directors to sing and learn quality choral music under the leadership of master conductors.

	Hilary Apfelstadt recently retired from the University of Toronto where she was Professor and Director of Choral Studies from 2010—2018, after leaving a similar position at The Ohio State University. She is a frequent guest conductor and masterclass teacher, and also enjoys writing about choral music. In July 2018, she received a Choral Canada award for her book on Canadian composer Ruth Watson Henderson, I Didn’t Want It to be Boring (Toronto: Prism Publishers). Dr. Apfelstadt is again living in Columbus and looks forward to hearing many fine Ohio choirs in the coming years.
	James Gallagher is Professor Emeritus in the School of Music of The Ohio State University, where he served as Director of Choral Activities. Mr. Gallagher conducted the award-winning OSU Men's Glee Club and also the Symphonic Choir. His teaching responsibilities included vocal pedagogy, conducting, and choral repertoire. While at OSU, choral ensembles under Mr. Gallagher's direction performed at numerous state, regional, and national conventions of ACDA, MENC, and OMEA. Mr. Gallagher continues to be active as a teacher, clinician, and conductor. He and his wife, Carol, are active in their church and spend part of each winter in Florida.
	Zebulon M. Highben is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Muskingum University. He has served as a guest conductor, clinician, and lecturer throughout the United States, and in 2016 represented the US in ACDA’s International Conductors Exchange Program with South Korea. In 2015, he received The American Prize in Conducting for his work with the Muskingum Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. Dr. Highben is also a prolific composer, with over fifty works published in the United States and Sweden.