|
The American choral conductor, baritone and educator, David Hahn, obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in Voice and Sacred Music from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago (2009-2014); major teachers: Tim Stafford (conducting), Terry Strandt (voice), Brian Lee (piano); additional Summer Study: Kyle Ferrill (voice), Jay White (voice). He obtained his Master of Music degree in Conducting (Choral) from the Eastman School of Music (2014-2016), where he was a recipient of the Edith H. Babcock and Herman Genhart Choral Conducting scholarships; major teachers: William Weinert (choral), Brad Lubman (orchestral), Robert Swensen (voice). He is currently a third-year doctoral student in choral conducting at the University of Michigan (since 2019; expected graduation: 2022), studying with Eugene Rogers. He has also studied both choral and orchestral conducting Mark Gibson (CCM Opera Bootcamp), Victor Yampolsky and Erin Freeman (Wintergreen Conductor’s Summit), and David Hayes, Lucinda Carver, and Duain Wolfe (Chorus America Conducting Academy).
During his undergraduate studies in Chicago, Illinois, David Hahn formed and directed a professional ensemble, Con Brio Chamber Singers, that premiered new works and performed live, radio-recorded concerts. He also conducted ensembles at The Moody Church and conducted the Moody Oratorio Chorus and the Moody Chorale at MBI, with which he traveled extensively throughout four continents.
At the Eastman School of Music, David Hahn was Graduate Assistant Conductor (August 2014-May 2016), and conducted both choral and orchestral ensembles including the Eastman Chorale, Eastman Repertory Singers (2015-2016), Eastman-University of Rochester Women’s Chorus (2014), Graduate Conducting Orchestra (2015-2016), and two concerts in the Eastman School of Music: Bach Cantata Series (2014-2016). He also held appointments as Ensemble Manager of the Eastman-Rochester Chorus (2015-2016) and President of the ACDA Eastman Chapter (2014). He was Director of Choral Music at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Rochester, New York (August 2014-August 2016). In the spring of 2018, he received the third place Ernst Bacon Award in the college/university division of The American Prize for his live recording of John Corigliano's Fern Hill with the Eastman Repertory Singers.
In 2016, David Hahn became the Director of Choral Music at Nichols School in Buffalo, New York (July 2016-June 2019) where he directed the Concert Choir, Honors Vocal Ensemble, and taught courses in voice, electronic music composition, and music appreciation. Under his leadership, the choral program experienced over 85% growth, which led to the creation of an additional ensemble. His students consistently earned top marks at local adjudications and were frequently invited to perform in the community, most notably at Roswell Cancer Center and at Kleinhans Hall through the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's Community Spotlight concert series. In the fall of 2017, he developed the Nichols Choral Festival whereby local high schools, community choirs, and universities were invited to campus to perform for each other in a non-competitive event to promote engagement and collaboration in the Buffalo choral community.
In 2017, David was appointed Artistic Director and Conductor of the Orchard Park Chorale in Orchard, New York (August 2017-June 2019), where he helped rebrand the chorus and create one of the most highly regarded professional choruses in the area. Concert performances included Constant Lambert's The Rio Grande, Finzi's In Terra Pax, and Ralph Vaughan Williams' Toward the Unknown Region, all with full orchestra. Under his direction, membership increased over 45% and talented students from local high schools became regular members of the chorus through the newly created OPC Young Artist Program.
David Hahn is the Visiting Director of Choral Activities at the University of Toledo where he directs the Chamber Singers, University Chorus, and teaches secondary vocal methods, choral conducting, and applied voice. He is also the Director of Music Ministries at Bethlehem United Church of Christ in downtown Ann Arbor (since August 2019).
At the University of Michigan, David Hahn collaborated with African American song literature scholar Louise Toppin to conduct the 2020 University of Michigan concert performance premiere of Bill Banfield's monumental opera, Edmonia. He also served as conductor of University Choir (since 2021) and assistant conductor of the Women's Glee Club (2020-2021), Michigan Youth Chamber Singers, and the internationally acclaimed Michigan Men’s Glee Club (2019-2020) where he helped prepare the 104-voice chorus through an innovative program, You Are Enough, to champion mental health awareness.
As a lyric baritone, David Hahn has held professional memberships in several choral organizations, most notably as Bass Section Leader in the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus (August 2016-July 2017), the Chicago Choral Artists, VOICES, First Inversion, and the Eastman-Rochester Chorus. He has also performed with Buffalo Opera Unlimited, most recently in 2018 as Lieutenant Gordon in their historic performance of Silent Night by Kevin Puts. Past solos include Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem and Dominick Argento’s Four Seascapes with the Eastman-Rochester Chorus, Igor Stravinsky’s Mass with the Eastman Repertory Singers, and Gabriel Fauré's Requiem and George Frideric Handel’s Messiah with the Moody Oratorio Chorus. He currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. |
