Scott Tucker (conductor)
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Scott Arthur Tucker (September 17, 1957 – present) is an American
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 is most widely known as the artistic director of The Choral Arts Society of Washington from 2012 to 2022, and as the director of choral music at
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
from 1995 to 2012.


Biography


Early years

Tucker was born on September 17, 1957, in Massachusetts. He started playing the trumpet at the age of nine, His maternal grandfather was an amateur musician and his sister became a professional musician. He received a B.S. degree in psychology from
Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...
and a Bachelor of Music degree in trumpet performance from the
New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...
through a five-year, double degree program. He then spent some years as a freelance musician in the Boston area.''Professor Scott Tucker Leads Choral Music at Cornell University''
Celebrity Dialogue, March 29th, 2010 (visited March 31, 2012)
He subsequently earned a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from the New England Conservatory. Following his graduate degree, Tucker served as assistant choral director at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
for six years under Jameson Marvin, and as choral director at
Milton Academy Milton Academy (informally referred to as Milton) is a coeducational, co-educational, Independent school, independent, and College-preparatory school, college-preparatory boarding and day school in Milton, Massachusetts, educating students in g ...
where his duties also included coaching basketball. He also served as a tenor soloist at
King's Chapel King's Chapel is an American independent Christian unitarian congregation affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association that is "unitarian Christian in theology, Anglican in worship, and congregational in governance." It is housed in ...
in Boston under the direction of Daniel Pinkham.


Cornell University, 1995-2012

In 1995, he was appointed as assistant professor at Cornell's music department, and as the director of choral music including responsibility for directing the
Cornell University Glee Club The Cornell University Glee Club (CUGC), founded in 1868, is the oldest student organization at Cornell University. The CUGC is a thirty-nine member Choir, chorus for tenor and bass voices, with repertoire including european classical music, cla ...
and the
Cornell University Chorus The Cornell University Chorus was founded at Cornell University in 1920 as the Cornell Women's Glee Club. The chorus is a 60-member treble choir with a repertoire that includes masses, motets, spirituals, european classical music, classical, fol ...
. A review of a Glee Club performance in 2000 by ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', while not uncritical, found that Tucker had "forged an ensemble of a cappella singers fully in touch with one another." Things improved steadily, and by 2011 a review in the ''San Francisco Classical Voice'' described Tucker as "a conductor who knows his medium well," praising "the ease and smoothness of the delivery, the unity in the expressive shaping of phrases, ndthe musical flow," all of which reflected "Tucker's sound musicianship and obvious rapport with his singers." The Cornell choral program also experienced organizational growth during Tucker's tenure. In 2006, Tucker's position was endowed as the Priscilla Edwards Browning Director of Choral Music. While at Cornell, he oversaw new commissioning projects for both the Chorus and Glee Club, including a project for the Chorus informally titled "No Whining, No Flowers" that focused on commissioning women composers to set texts by women poets.


Choral Arts Society of Washington, 2012-2022

On March 28, 2012, Tucker was appointed as director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, succeeding Norman Scribner for the 2012-13 season. Tucker was viewed as a surprise candidate and a relatively unknown figure in Washington. His musicality, rapport with the chorus during the audition process, and his fundraising and commissioning experience were all viewed as factors positively contributing to his selection. After 10 seasons, Tucker retired as director of Choral Arts at the end of the 2021-22 season.


Awards

Under Tucker's direction, the Cornell University Glee Club performed as an invited chorus at the 2009
American Choral Directors Association The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting the field of choral music A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Lat ...
National Convention in
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
,
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
. The Glee Club was also accepted to compete in the 2012
Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is a music festival which takes place every year during the second week of July in Llangollen, North Wales. It is one of several large annual Eisteddfodau in Wales. Singers and dancers from aroun ...
in
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. Tucker previously received a Talbot Baker Award from Milton Academy for excellence in teaching, an award from the
St. Botolph Club The St. Botolph Club is a gentlemen's club, private social club in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1880 by a group including many artists. Its name is derived from the English saint Botolph of Thorney. Among the club's other activities in its q ...
Foundation in Boston, and was a Presser Scholar at Tufts University.


External links


Official website


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tucker, Scott American male conductors (music) Living people 1957 births Cornell University faculty 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American male musicians