Conductor and composer Steven J. Knell is the founder and artistic director of echo, a professional chamber choir based in Salt Lake City and Atlanta, and is pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is the assistant conductor of the UT Concert Chorale and studies with James Morrow. He most recently served as the Emerging Artist in Residence in Choral Directing at Pennsylvania State University-Altoona and conductor of the auditioned chamber choir Ivyside Pride, as well as on the faculty of the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. Mr. Knell received his Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Georgia, where he studied conducting with Daniel Bara and John P. Lynch, and his Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Utah. At Georgia, Mr. Knell served as Assistant Conductor for the University of Georgia Collegium Musicum, Women's Glee Club, and University Chorus. Conducting projects include performances of Arvo Pärt's Te Deum, the Georgia premiere of Abbie Betinis' Aililiù, ò Ìosa, the rarely-performed cantata Tulen synty by Jean Sibelius, and Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with soprano Megan Gillis. A versatile choral and orchestral conductor, Steve has also conducted the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the orchestra of the Conductor's Retreat at Medomak in Mozart's 35th Symphony and Barber's Knoxville, respectively. Mr. Knell, exercising his passionate advocacy for new music, has led premieres of new pieces, including choral works and instrumental works. Mr. Knell also has a background in the education of young musicians, and has served as music director for numerous productions at the University of Utah's Youth Theatre as well as a music instructor and teacher during the organization's summer program. In his undergraduate work, he studied conducting with Michael Huff and Barlow Bradford. He also worked with visiting professors James Jordan and Dale Warland. Other conducting instructors include Kenneth Kiesler and Neil Varon.
Mr. Knell is a prolific composer of choral and vocal music. His in-progress mass, A Requiem for Sandy Hook, honoring the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, was partially premiered by the University of Georgia Repertory Singers in March of 2013. In spring of 2012, his new piece for violoncello and soprano, Anthemoessa, was premiered across the United States in a touring recital, "Queering the Pitch: music for cello and soprano" by cellist Justin Dougherty and soprano Meredith Mecum. His collaboration with Mr. Dougherty continued with a new piece for solo cello, Fantasia (Come Out, ye Saints), for the same recital series, premiered in the fall of 2013. Another recently performed project was a setting of four ancient Chinese poems, Sì Jì, Reflected for colleague and soprano Malia Jane French. Current projects include a solo voice setting of Pablo Neruda's "Alturas de Macchu Picchu" for Michelle Alexander, mezzo-soprano and recent winner of both the Regional Metropolitan Opera Competition and the Classical Singer Competition. Mr. Knell's choral catalog includes The Physics of Love, with text from four sonnets by contemporary poet Catherine Keokee, and a triumphant setting of the seventh century text Caedmon's Hymn for mixed chorus and organ.
In addition to his work conducting and composing, Steven, a tenor, performs art song, oratorio, and opera, and also enjoys travel, hiking, wine, and fine dining.
Mr. Knell is a prolific composer of choral and vocal music. His in-progress mass, A Requiem for Sandy Hook, honoring the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, was partially premiered by the University of Georgia Repertory Singers in March of 2013. In spring of 2012, his new piece for violoncello and soprano, Anthemoessa, was premiered across the United States in a touring recital, "Queering the Pitch: music for cello and soprano" by cellist Justin Dougherty and soprano Meredith Mecum. His collaboration with Mr. Dougherty continued with a new piece for solo cello, Fantasia (Come Out, ye Saints), for the same recital series, premiered in the fall of 2013. Another recently performed project was a setting of four ancient Chinese poems, Sì Jì, Reflected for colleague and soprano Malia Jane French. Current projects include a solo voice setting of Pablo Neruda's "Alturas de Macchu Picchu" for Michelle Alexander, mezzo-soprano and recent winner of both the Regional Metropolitan Opera Competition and the Classical Singer Competition. Mr. Knell's choral catalog includes The Physics of Love, with text from four sonnets by contemporary poet Catherine Keokee, and a triumphant setting of the seventh century text Caedmon's Hymn for mixed chorus and organ.
In addition to his work conducting and composing, Steven, a tenor, performs art song, oratorio, and opera, and also enjoys travel, hiking, wine, and fine dining.