Jerry Blackstone is a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

winning

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

choral A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

. He was the Director of Choirs and Chair of the Conducting Department at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

and the Music Director of the University Musical Society Choral Union. Blackstone holds degrees from Wheaton College,

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

, and the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

and has served on the music faculties of

Phillips University Phillips University was a private university in Enid, Oklahoma. It opened in 1906 and closed in 1998. It was affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It included an undergraduate college and a graduate seminary. The university ...

Westmont College Westmont College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Montecito, California, United States. It was founded in 1937. History Ruth Kerr, owner and CEO of the Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company, established the school as the Bible Missiona ...

, and Huntington University. In 1988, Blackstone joined the faculty of the University of Michigan, where he conducted the University of Michigan Chamber Choir, taught conducting at the graduate level, administered a choral program of eleven choirs, and directed the University of Michigan’s Summer Music Programs and Michigan Youth Ensembles. In 2022 he became the director of the

Wheaton College Men's Glee Club The Wheaton College Men's Glee Club is an all-male glee club (or choir) at Wheaton College (Illinois), Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, currently conducted by Ms. Annika Stucky. Founded in 1907, the Men's Glee Club has maintained a long tra ...

and Women's Chorale choirs. From 1988 to 2002, Blackstone was the conductor of the

University of Michigan Men's Glee Club The University of Michigan Men's Glee Club is an all-male glee club (or choir) at the University of Michigan. With roots tracing back to 1859, it is the second oldest glee club in the United States and is the oldest student organization at the ...

. He led the group on tours of Australia, Eastern and Central Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States. The Men’s Glee Club CD, ''I Have Had Singing'', is a retrospective of his tenure as conductor of the ensemble. Blackstone has appeared as festival guest conductor and workshop presenter in twenty-eight states as well as Hong Kong, Shanghai and Australia. His publications include an educational video, ''Working with Male Voices'', and the ''Jerry Blackstone Choral Series''. In April 2004, Blackstone became Conductor and Music Director of the University Musical Society Choral Union, a large community/university chorus that frequently appears with the

Detroit Symphony Orchestra The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall (Detroit, Michigan), Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown, Detroit, ...

performing major choral-orchestral works. In 2003/2004, he prepared the choirs for the Grammy-winning recording of

William Bolcom William Elden Bolcom (born May 26, 1938) is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, a Grammy Award, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. He ...

's ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience''.

External links

University of Michigan Bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackstone, Jerry Year of birth missing (living people) Living people University of Michigan faculty Phillips University faculty Indiana University Bloomington alumni USC Thornton School of Music alumni American choral conductors American male conductors (music) Grammy Award winners Wheaton College (Illinois) alumni 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American male musicians