A quick Q&A with Music Professor and Director Kenny Miller
Q: When did you join the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ faculty?
A: Dr. Kenny Miller began as adjunct faculty in the fall of 2006. In 2008 he became OYO and finally residential faculty in 2011. He is the coordinator of voice studies at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ and the Director of the Honors Program. He conducts the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ Concert Choir, ProCantus Chamber Singers, the Phoenix Community Choir, and enCoro. He also teaches History of Western Music, Choral Conducting, and Conducting Methods.
Q: What Classes do you teach?
A: Dr. Miller has a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, a Master of Vocal Performance and Pedagogy, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance. He specialized in British Art Song written between 1914 and 1955 during his Doctoral studies but also extensively performed oratorio and other art songs throughout his performing career.
Q: What's your area of expertise/what did you study in school
A: Dr. Miller is the executive director and co-founder of the vocal ensemble Helios: a modern renaissance (their next concerts are February 16 and 17 - heliosphx.org) with whom he also sings tenor. Additionally, he is the executive director and founder of ArtSong Rising, which is a consortium of singers dedicated to the performance of art song throughout the State of Arizona. Formerly, he was an assistant conductor and singer with the Grammy Award-winning ensemble The Phoenix Chorale. He performed on the album Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil which won the Grammy for Best Choral Performance in 2016. Two of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ's voice instructors, Dr. Nina Gargiulio and Dr. Josef Curtis, also sang with him on the album. He also sang on the highly acclaimed album Northern Lights, released in 2012, which reached top positions on the Billboard and Gramophone Charts.
Q: Favorite Moment while at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ:
A: His favorite moments at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ are many and varied. Most of the times they involve performances with the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ choirs when the singers and audience are transported and moved by the beautiful music and artful performances. With Dr. Miller, the Choirs at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ have performed over five hundred pieces to thousands of audience members. Highlights include an exciting arrangement of Toto's "Africa," Mozart's Coronation Mass, and a very special program last March dedicated to exploring homelessness through music and poetry.