Jack Schmidt
Jack Schmidt is Professor of Music and Chair of the Departments of English and Liberal Arts at Delaware Valley College. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from Wheaton College, a Master of Music from DePaul University and a Ph.D. in Music History from Northwestern University. His research specialty is 17th century Lutheran sacred music, and he has published articles and presented papers on related topics for the American Musicological Society, the American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, the College Music Society, the Miami Bach Festival, the Maryland Arts Festival and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Dr. Schmidt has conducted numerous amateur and professional ensembles including performances at the Oregon Bach Festival; he is currently Music Director of the Palisades Community Chorus.
Dr. Schmidt studied conducting with Helmut Rilling, Frieder Bernius, Donald Neuen and Rex Hicks and trombone with Edward Kleinhammer, Frank Crisafulli, Per Brevig and Glenn Dodson. He has recorded CDs for Polygram and Liturgical Press with the Schola Cantorum of Chicago and conducted the Delaware Valley College Concert Band on CDs in 2002 and 2006. As past president of the Pennsylvania Choral Conductors Association, he has led yearly music study tours to Europe, including trips to Vienna, Salzburg, Venice, Rome, Paris, Berlin and Prague. Prior to his appointment at Delaware Valley College in 1997, Dr. Schmidt was on the faculties of Towson University, Northwestern University and Elgin Community College.