The Nebraska Choral Directors Association has named Matt Hill the 2015 Young Conductor
of the Year. Hill is the Director of Choral Studies and an assistant professor at
Peru State College.
Hill was nominated by NCDA District 1 representative Mark Harman. Harman is the choral
director at Fremont High School in Fremont, Nebraska. He is also a District Representative
for the NCDA.
Harman writes, “I have worked with Matt as a colleague on a number of projects ranging
from performances to management. His professionalism and dedication to the choral
art is astounding and is only trumped by his musicianship.”
Qualifications for the award include ten or fewer years of teaching experience; consistent
American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) or Nebraska Choral Directors Association
(NCDA) membership; high performance and literature standards; and participation in
ACDA and NCDA activities.
Hill said, “I am honored and humbled to be in such company. I am grateful to my music
colleagues in Nebraska for their high standards and for your collegiality.”
The Nebraska Choral Directors Association is a non-profit professional organization
composed of choral musicians from schools, colleges, universities, churches, community
and professional groups. The ACDA includes 18,000 directors representing more than
one million singers across the United States.
Hill earned a master’s in choral conducting at Oklahoma State University and is in
the process of completing his doctoral work at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
Hill is the founder of “Sing Omaha Inc.” The 501c3 non-profit organization serves
as Nebraska’s Premier K-12/adult choral arts organization, and is comprised of seven
choirs, which serve more than 200 singers in Douglas and Sarpy County each year.
The Peru State choral programs will be performing “The Magic of Christmas” Holiday
Concert on December 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the Jindra Fine Arts Building, room 215. The
community is welcome to attend the concert and a 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. open house in the
home of Dr. Dan and Elaine Hanson. The president’s home is just north of campus at
604 Hoyt Street in Peru, Nebraska.