Position:
Associate Professor, Director of Choral Activities
Degrees and Schools:
BS in Music w/outside field of Chemistry, Indiana University, 1984
MA in Choral Conducting, University of Iowa, 1986
DMA in Choral Conducting, University of Illinois, 1996
Teaching Responsibilities:
Chamber Choir
Singing Pioneers
Coro D’Angeli
Music History
Biographical Information:
Bob Demaree joined the UW-Platteville faculty in 1992. Dr. Demaree currently conducts the Chamber Choir, the Singing Pioneers Men’s Choir, and Coro D’Angeli, the Women’s Chorus. In addition, he teaches the music history sequence for the department, and assists in the instruction of conducting and choral methods courses. Annual choral area events include the Holiday Gala, a High School Choral Festival, three tours, and performances of major choral/orchestral works. The Chamber Choir has been honored to perform at three state and one regional conventions since 1995. Dr. Demaree has also instituted the Chamber Singers, a reunion choir that has performed at state and regional ACDA conventions in 2001 and 2002.
Since 1992, the choral area has sponsored performances and workshops by The Dale Warland Singers, the Severacek Children’s Choir, Chanticleer, the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers, the Jubilate Children’s Choir, and John Wustman. In the fall of 1998, members of the choral ensembles performed Skryabin’s Prometheus with the Kirov Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre under the direction of Valery Gergiev at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. Singers have also made trips to the Classical Music Seminar in Eisenstadt, Austria in the summers of 1998 and 2000. The Chamber Choir has performed Brahms’ German Requiem with choirs from UW-Oshkosh and will travel to Oshkosh again in 2003 to sing Verdi’s Requiem.
Demaree completed his doctorate in choral conducting at the University of Illinois. While finishing his coursework, he conducted the Illini Women and was assistant conductor of the Concert Choir. During his tenure at Washington State University, he conducted the Crimson Company, the university’s highly acclaimed show choir. Demaree received a master of music degree in choral conducting at the University of Iowa where he was the director of the Old Gold Singers. He completed a bachelor’s degree with voice concentration at Indiana University. Professor Demaree has studied conducting under Don V. Moses, Ann Howard Jones, Fred Stoltzfus, and Robert Stoll.
Dr. Demaree has been accorded several honors, including being named winner of the Alliant Energy/Underkofler Teaching Excellence Award. He was named Outstanding Advisor to a Student Organization in 2000, has been named an honorary member of Alpha Lambda Delta and Sigma Alpha Iota, and has twice been nominated for Outstanding Student Advisor. In addition, Dr. Demaree is serving as SW Vice-President for WMEA, and will become President-Elect for WCDA in July, 2003.
In addition to his work for the university, Demaree served for nine years as Music Director at First English Lutheran Church. He conducted the Pioneer Summer Music Camp choir for six years. Demaree has been a frequent soloist and festival choral singer. He was baritone soloist for Bach’s Magnificat under the baton of Margaret Hillis in 1983 at the ACDA Central Division Convention. In January of 1992, he performed Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis under the direction of Robert Shaw at the Robert Shaw Choral Workshop at Carnegie Hall. Demaree has also performed as a soloist and chorus member of the Classical Music Seminar in Eisenstadt, Austria, the Oregon Bach Festival, and the American Master Chorale. He is active as a clinician and adjudicator.
In September of 2000, Demaree was named Artistic Director of the UWP Heartland Festival, a month-long series of arts events that began in the summer of 2001. The Heartland Festival annually presents a stage play, a musical, an exhibition at the Harry Nohr Gallery, music performances, and several related educational opportunities.
Contact Information: