Timothy McMillin

Tim McMillin brings expertise in choral literature, secondary choral music education and conducting to the area of Graduate Choral Studies and Simpson College.
Biography
Timothy A. McMillin co-founder and serves as Co-Director and Professor of music for Simpson College’s Master of Music (M.M.) in Choral Conducting degree, offered in an intensive, three-summers program. He conducts annually as part of the Des Moines Choral Festival, a professional choral festival produced through a partnership with CORO, Inc. and the M.M. program at Simpson College.

From 2004-2019, Dr. McMillin served as Director of Choral Studies at Simpson College, where he worked with undergraduate musicians and served two terms as Chair of the Department of Music. Before his appointment at Simpson College, Dr. McMillin directed choirs in Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble, a competively-auditioned chamber choir in the greater Des Moines community committed to excellence in choral artistry. In addition to his work in the choral field, Dr. McMillin works with the Des Moines Metro Opera, one of America’s major opera companies, where he currently serves as Director of Development.

Expertise
Choral Conducting
Choral Literature
Choral Methods
Awards
Choirs under Dr. McMillin’s direction recently appeared at the Iowa Choral Directors Association’s (ICDA) Summer Symposium. Dr. McMillin is often called upon as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator around the Midwest. Recently, he prepared choruses in collaboration with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Iowa, and the Des Moines performances of the national touring company’s Star Wars: In Concert.

Credentials
D.M.A., Choral Conducting, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 2010
M.A., Music Education, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2004
BM, Music Education, Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, 1997
Publications
March 2020 Performance: Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Giunta, conductor

Carmina Burana, Des Moines, IA

Sept 2016 Performance: Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Giunta, conductor

Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Des Moines, IA

June 2016 Presentation: Roundtable facilitation: “Assessing Academic Advising,” Council of

Independent Colleges Department Chair and Division Head Workshop, Portland, OR

May 2016 Performance: Orchestra Iowa, Timothy Hankewich, conductor

Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Cedar Rapids, IA and Indianola, IA

July 2015 Performance: Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble, ICDA Summer Symposium,

Mason City, IA

July 2015 Presentation: “The Solo Voice in Choral Singing,” ICDA Summer Symposium,

Mason City, IA

July 2015 Presentation: “What does your manual gesture say? A conducting tune-up,”

ICDA Summer Symposium, Mason City, IA

May 2015 Performance: Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Giunta, conductor

Hanson’s Song of Democracy, Des Moines, IA

May 2015 McMillin, Timothy A. “BRAVO Feature: Community Chorus,” Sounding Board 47,

no. 4 (May 2015): 16-17.

July 2014 Presentation: “Community Choir Repertoire and Standards Reading Session,”

ICDA Summer Symposium, Mason City, IA

Mar 2014 Performance: Orchestra Iowa, Timothy Hankewich, conductor

Mahler Symphony #2 (Resurrection); Walton Coronation Te Deum

Feb 2014 McMillin, Timothy A. “BRAVO Feature: Community Chorus,” Sounding Board 46,

no. 3 (Feb 2014): 15-16.

Jan 2010 McMillin, Timothy A. “The A Cappella Choral Ensemble Tradition in America and its

Influence upon the Choral Canon of the 20th Century: An Examination of the Influence of

Selected Scores Commissioned by Choral VenturesTM and the Dale Warland Singers” DMA

dissertation, Michigan State University, 2010.

July 2009 Presentation: “Advanced SATB Repertoire for Colleges and Universities,” ICDA

Summer Symposium, Mason City, IA

Nov 2008 McMillin, Timothy A. “A Dozen Ideas to Bolster the Selection of Quality Choral

Music Repertoire: Resources and Ideas.” Sounding Board 40, no. 2 (Nov 2008): 19-20.

July 2008 Presentation: “Newly published Repertoire for Advanced, Mixed Choirs,” ICDA

Summer Symposium, Mason City, IA

Feb 2008 McMillin, Timothy A. “Ten Recommended Short Works for Chorus and

Orchestra.” Sounding Board 39, no. 3 (Feb 2008).

July 2007 Presentation: “Repertoire and Standards Reading Session for Colleges and

Universities,” ICDA Summer Symposium, Mason City, IA

July 2006 Presentation: “What’s New in College and University Repertoire in 2006,” ICDA

Summer Symposium, Mason City, IA

Feb 2006 McMillin, Timothy A. “A Review: Chorus Confidential by William Denning.”

Sounding Board 37, no. 3 (Feb 2006): 8-9.

Nov 2005 McMillin, Timothy A. “A Review: The Perfect Blend by Timothy Seelig.” Sounding

Board 37, no. 2 (Nov 2005): 7.

Nov 2005 McMillin, Timothy A. “BRAVO Feature: Six Recommended Works for Advanced,

Mixed Choirs,” Sounding Board 37, no. 2 (Nov 2005): 26-27.

July 2004 McMillin, Timothy A. “Sight-Singing, Music Theory and Music History: Current

Practices in the Secondary Choral Performance Ensemble” MA thesis, University of St. Thomas, 2004.