Smoot Theatre slates first Choral Master Class | News, Sports, Jobs

PARKERSBURG — A Choral Master Class with Brandon Moss, a new event at the Smoot Theatre, will be held from 1-3 p.m. Saturday at the theater.

Participants in the master class will be the three vocal ensembles of the Smoot Theatre: The Smoot Theatre Children’s Chorus under the direction of Barbara Full and accompanist Marsha Parsons; The Smoot Theatre Boys Ensemble under the direction of Janet Blessing; and the Smoot Theatre Girls Ensemble under the direction of Cathy Martin.

Each ensemble will present two musical selections, after which Moss will aid each group with performance suggestions and advice on ways to improve their performances and instructing the groups in basic choral techniques.

The public is invited to this free event at the Smoot Theatre where Felice Jorgeson is artistic director. Accompanist will be Jane Irvine.

Moss, a Wood County native, is vocal music director at Upper Arlington High School in Columbus. Prior to this, he served for many years as director of choirs at Central Crossing High School in Grove City where he directed the award-winning Chorale and four other choral ensembles.

In his 17th year of teaching, he has previously taught choir in grades 5-12 at Westfall Local Schools, Three Rivers Local Schools and Dover City Schools.

Moss also is director of music and chalice choir at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus where he has served for nearly 12 years. An active conductor, adjudicator and clinician, he has directed, assistant-directed and worked with several other community, school and church choirs in Central Ohio, including the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus, The Magpie Consort and Clintonville Community Choir.

He is the past president of the Ohio Choral Directors Association and was District 15 president of the Ohio Music Education Association and the All-State Choir Chair in 2013 and 2018. As a performer, he often sings as a tenor soloist and chorister in Central Ohio.

Moss has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from The Ohio State University, master’s degrees from Ohio State and Drexel University and a bachelor’s of music education from Otterbein University.

Moss is a product of Wood County schools, having attended Vienna Elementary, Jackson Junior High School and Parkersburg High School. While a student at Jackson Junior High School, he sang under the direction of Janet Blessing and was a member of both the Jackson Junior High School Concert Choir and the Chorale, both of which were named State Honor Ensembles by the West Virginia State Music Educators Association.

At Parkersburg High School, Moss was a three year member of the Chamber Choir and A Cappella Choir directed by Cathy Martin. He was selected three years for the West Virginia All-State Chamber Choir and sang three years in the MENC All-State Chorus.