Role(s): | Member |
Level: | Full |
Status: | Active |
Office(s): | Ex Officio Artistic Director |
Blair King is the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for the Arts District Chorale (ADC). Now in his second year in this role, he first joined ADC as a tenor in 2015. King is also the Choir Director and Vocal Music Instructor at Shelton School in Dallas, where he has served for the past 25 years. He played an integral role in developing plans for Shelton’s new Moody Fine Arts Center, along with expanding the school’s choral program.
King served as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Lewisville Civic Chorale from 2008-2012, and held numerous church music posts including serving as music minister at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Farmers Branch and Resurrection Episcopal Church in Plano. He graduated from the Texas Tech University (TTU) School of Music where he studied conducting with Ken Davis, Ronnie Oliver and Eric Fried. Over the years he has had opportunities to study with many well-known choral conductors such as Paul Salomunovich and Simon Preston. He also studied voice at TTU with John Gillas, Sue Arnold, Emily Brunson and James Shrader. In recent years, he has continued studying vocal pedagogy through workshops and continuing education at the University of North Texas with Stephen Austin and New England Conservatory with Ian Howell and Ken Bozeman.
King has worked extensively in local musical theater as both musical director and vocal coach. Highlights include Matilda the Musical at the Firehouse Theatre, and Company and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Theatre Denton. At Shelton School, he has directed the music for many productions including Bye Bye Birdie,The Sound of Music, Shrek the Musical and Into the Woods. This past summer King was selected to participate in New York University’s Musical Theater Conducting Intensive where he spent a week studying with Tony Award winning conductor, arranger, and director Ted Sperling.
Mr. King is the proud dad of Nate, a high school senior, talented trombone player, theatre techie, gamer extraordinaire, and all-around great kid. He is also extremely happy to share that he recently became engaged to his amazing girlfriend Emily Humphrey who has two awesome children of her own, Cael and Alena. They look forward to a wonderful life together with their combined families.
“It is a great honor to be asked to lead ADC. This ensemble has a tradition and expectation of performing at a professional level, and I’m looking forward to making great music with these terrific singers..”
Role(s): | Conductor |
Status: | Active |
Special role with this ensemble: | Conductor |
Front Row? | Yes |