Jo-Michael Scheibe | |
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Background information | |
Born |
Los Angeles, California, United States |
August 31, 1950
Genres | Classical, Choral Music |
Occupation(s) | Conductor, Teacher |
Instruments | Voice |
Associated acts | Chair, USC Choral and Sacred Music Department; USC Thornton Chamber Choir |
Jo-Michael Scheibe (born 1950) chairs the Thornton School of Music’s Department of Choral and Sacred Music at the University of Southern California, where he conducts the USC Chamber Singers, teaches choral conducting and choral methods, and supervises the graduate and undergraduate choral program. In 2008, he assumed a new post as National President Elect of the American Choral Directors’ Association. No stranger to the ACDA, Scheibe previously served as the organization’s Western Division President (1991–1993), as well as National Repertoire and Standards Chairperson for Community Colleges (1980–1989). Ensembles under his leadership have sung at six national ACDA conventions (1985, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2007), as well as two national conventions of the Music Educators National Conference (1996, 2000), and various regional and state conventions.
A native of Southern California, Scheibe developed his love for music through his singing in church and at Westminster High School. After earning a degree in vocal and choral music education at California State University at Long Beach State, he taught high school music at Vintage High School in Napa, California, and then at Huntington Beach High School. Other appointments included Long Beach City College, Northern Arizona University and the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. Scheibe’s artistic collaborations have included choral performances with Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Salvatore Licitra, Maria Guleghina and Kenny Loggins, as well as preparation of choruses for Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra, Franz Welser-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony and conductors Helmuth Rilling, Jahja Ling, Edoardo Müller, James Judd, Max Valdez, Thomas Sanderling and Alain Lombard, among others. Recordings of ensembles under Scheibe’s direction have been released on the Albany, Cane, Naxos, Arsis and ANS labels.
A champion of contemporary music, Scheibe regularly commissions and performs new works of choral literature. He has helped to launch careers of promising young composers and to promote music by international composers largely unknown in the United States. Music publishers Walton, Colla Voce Music and Santa Barbara distribute the Jo-Michael Scheibe Choral Series internationally.