Kent, Ohio – The Hugh A. Glauser School of Music is pleased to welcome two new faculty members – Matthew Swope has been appointed as the Director of Choral Activities; Isaac Terceros has been appointed as the Director of Orchestras. Both appointments will be effective August 2024.
Swope brings with him a wealth of experience and a passion for choral music that we know will inspire and elevate our singers to new heights. He has taught classes at the University of Cincinnati, voice at Rollins College and has served as the Director of Choral Activities and Performing Arts Department Chair at Winter Park High School in Florida.
“We are so excited to welcome Matthew Swope to our School of Music family,” said Dr. Sarah Labovitz, Director of the School of Music. “His musical talent, teaching background, and passion for music and music education make him well suited to lead our choral program into its next chapter. I know the students and community members that participate in our choral ensembles are going to have a fantastic experience and I look forward to seeing the wonderful things that happen under his leadership!”
In addition to conducting throughout the world, Terceros is the founder and artistic director of the Santa Cruz Philharmonic in Bolivia. His abundance of knowledge and creativity, along with his enthusiasm to inspire and challenge our musicians will foster a culture of collaboration and growth in the Glauser School of Music.
“The energy that Isaac Terceros brings to the classroom is infectious and the abundance of artistic and educational knowledge he has to share with our students is immense,” said Dr. Sarah Labovitz. “I cannot wait to see the impact he is going to have on our Kent State University Orchestra program and our greater musical community!”
Please join us in welcoming Matthew Swope and Isaac Terceros to our vibrant musical community at Kent State University!
Stay tuned for more details on upcoming rehearsals, performances, and opportunities to get involved with our choral and orchestra programs under this new leadership in the 2024-25 academic year.
About Matthew Swope
Matthew Swope is a D.M.A. candidate in Choral Conducting with a cognate in Musical Theatre at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has taught classes at the University of Cincinnati and voice at Rollins College. For fourteen years, Matthew served as the Director of Choral Activities and Performing Arts Department Chair at Winter Park High School in Florida, overseeing a program consisting of eight curricular choirs and two contemporary a cappella groups. In addition, he has served as the May Festival Choral Conducting Fellow and on the music staff of Knox Presbyterian Church.
Ensembles under his direction have performed for state and regional conferences of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) and National A Cappella Convention. Matthew has presented at conferences of ACDA, National Association for Music Education, FMEA and Ohio Music Education Association.
He received his M.M. in Voice Performance and Pedagogy, and B.A. degrees in Music and Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies from The Pennsylvania State University.
About Isaac Terceros
Isaac Terceros is the founder and artistic director of the Santa Cruz Philharmonic in Bolivia. He is also currently serving as Interim Artistic Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra in Indiana while completing his doctoral studies in orchestral conducting at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the mentorship of Maestros Arthur Fagen and Thomas Wilkins.
Mr. Terceros has conducted throughout the world, including several cities in South America, the United States, Germany, France, Hungary, and Romania, among other European countries. In Bolivia, he founded and conducted several ensembles, including the Santa Cruz Symphonic Band and the award-winning vocal ensemble Entrecantos. A passionate advocate for music education, he has taught at the Universidad Evangélica Boliviana and served in various cultural leadership roles, including on the Arts Council of Santa Cruz. In 2017, he was awarded the Youth Peace Prize in the Arts category, and in 2019, he received the Outstanding Young Person of Bolivia award from the Junior Chamber International.
His work with the Santa Cruz Philharmonic has received praise and recognition from audiences and press alike. Since its establishment in 2016, the Philharmonic has fast become an artistic pillar of the city and country, building strong relationships with civic institutions, businesses, and the general public. Concerts have had a strong educational and historical impact on the city, as many programs include premieres from the symphonic canon such as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, pieces from the Latin American symphonic repertoire, and various popular productions such as A Gospel Celebration, A Tribute to John Williams, and the musical Les Misérables. Mr. Terceros' adventurous projects have harnessed the storytelling power, rich diversity, and universal relevance of music to engage new audiences.
Mr. Terceros holds a master's degree in instrumental conducting from the University of Central Arkansas and a bachelor's degree in orchestral and choral conducting from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil. Throughout his academic career, he has received numerous awards and grants for his research in music analysis, music technology, and choral conducting, and has published his findings in academic journals and conferences.
Photos: (left) Matthew Swope; (right) Isaac Terceros
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