JESSE PARKER, D.M.A., is the Artistic Director of the Chesapeake Chorale and Chamber
Singers. Dr. Parker and the Chorale have enjoyed a highly successful collaboration. Together, they have presented a wide range of repertoire, including music by Brahms, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Bernstein, Vivaldi, Bloch, and Poulenc, as well as by numerous contemporary Pop and Broadway composers, including Queen, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stephen Sondheim, and Burt Bacharach.
Bringing new music to the concert stage is one of the hallmarks of their collaboration including the premiere of Bruce Trinkley's cantata "Herrick's Lyricks" and the commissioning of Libby Larsen's "If Music Be the Food of Love" premiered by Dr. Parker and the Chorale as part of the Chorale's 30th Anniversary Season. He is also the founder and Music Director of Voices 21 and the Director of Music at Potomac United Methodist Church. In addition, Dr. Parker lectures for the Lifelong Learning Institute at Montgomery College. Courses he has developed for the LLI include "Musical Mavericks and Innovators," "The Art of Listening: A Fresh Look at Music You Love," "Sondheim Songbook," "An Elegant Sufficiency: Masterpieces from Schubert's Final Year," "The Orchestra: From the Page to the Stage," "Hamilton: Who Tells Your Story?," and "Bernstein: Conductor, Composer, Icon."
Before creating Voices 21 and joining the Chesapeake Chorale, he was the Associate Conductor of the Maryland Handel Festival, and he has served on the faculties of the University of Maryland and Sweet Briar College. He studied conducting with Paul Traver at the University of Maryland, where he earned a doctorate in music, and for more than ten years assisted Dr. Traver in preparing the Maryland Chorus for performances in the U.S. and Europe, with many renowned conductors including Leonard Slatkin, Lorin Maazel, Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta, Antal Dorati, and John Nelson.
Dr. Parker has conducted on tour abroad with performances in Ireland, Austria, France, Italy and Costa Rica. In July 2000, he was one of eight regional conductors to be selected by the National Symphony Orchestra to prepare choirs for the premier of Maury Yeston's "An American Cantata," conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Dr. Parker has been active in the Washington area for over 20 years holding conducting positions in churches and with a number of community groups including serving as the conductor of the Preparatory Orchestra at the Washington Conservatory of Music and as the Principal Conductor of the NIH Chamber Orchestra. Dr. Parker is also the Resident Conductor of Chevy Chase Chamber Music Society with whom he has performed Stravinsky's "L'Histoire du Soldat" and a chamber arrangement of Mahler's Symphony No. 4.
Dr. Parker is currently the Music Director at Potomac United Methodist Church where he oversees every aspect of PUMC's excellent music program—from rehearsing and leading the Chancel Choir and soloists in worship services to choosing the hymns for congregational singing. In addition, he coordinates the Community Concert Series, helps to guide the Young Voices Choir and collaborates with staff and clergy on
church-wide programming.
Singers. Dr. Parker and the Chorale have enjoyed a highly successful collaboration. Together, they have presented a wide range of repertoire, including music by Brahms, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Bernstein, Vivaldi, Bloch, and Poulenc, as well as by numerous contemporary Pop and Broadway composers, including Queen, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stephen Sondheim, and Burt Bacharach.
Bringing new music to the concert stage is one of the hallmarks of their collaboration including the premiere of Bruce Trinkley's cantata "Herrick's Lyricks" and the commissioning of Libby Larsen's "If Music Be the Food of Love" premiered by Dr. Parker and the Chorale as part of the Chorale's 30th Anniversary Season. He is also the founder and Music Director of Voices 21 and the Director of Music at Potomac United Methodist Church. In addition, Dr. Parker lectures for the Lifelong Learning Institute at Montgomery College. Courses he has developed for the LLI include "Musical Mavericks and Innovators," "The Art of Listening: A Fresh Look at Music You Love," "Sondheim Songbook," "An Elegant Sufficiency: Masterpieces from Schubert's Final Year," "The Orchestra: From the Page to the Stage," "Hamilton: Who Tells Your Story?," and "Bernstein: Conductor, Composer, Icon."
Before creating Voices 21 and joining the Chesapeake Chorale, he was the Associate Conductor of the Maryland Handel Festival, and he has served on the faculties of the University of Maryland and Sweet Briar College. He studied conducting with Paul Traver at the University of Maryland, where he earned a doctorate in music, and for more than ten years assisted Dr. Traver in preparing the Maryland Chorus for performances in the U.S. and Europe, with many renowned conductors including Leonard Slatkin, Lorin Maazel, Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta, Antal Dorati, and John Nelson.
Dr. Parker has conducted on tour abroad with performances in Ireland, Austria, France, Italy and Costa Rica. In July 2000, he was one of eight regional conductors to be selected by the National Symphony Orchestra to prepare choirs for the premier of Maury Yeston's "An American Cantata," conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Dr. Parker has been active in the Washington area for over 20 years holding conducting positions in churches and with a number of community groups including serving as the conductor of the Preparatory Orchestra at the Washington Conservatory of Music and as the Principal Conductor of the NIH Chamber Orchestra. Dr. Parker is also the Resident Conductor of Chevy Chase Chamber Music Society with whom he has performed Stravinsky's "L'Histoire du Soldat" and a chamber arrangement of Mahler's Symphony No. 4.
Dr. Parker is currently the Music Director at Potomac United Methodist Church where he oversees every aspect of PUMC's excellent music program—from rehearsing and leading the Chancel Choir and soloists in worship services to choosing the hymns for congregational singing. In addition, he coordinates the Community Concert Series, helps to guide the Young Voices Choir and collaborates with staff and clergy on
church-wide programming.
