Elliot Jones has led music programs at Mountain Shadows Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Asbury United Methodist Church in Delaware, and most recently as director of music ministry and organist at the Episcopal Church of the Apostles in Oro Valley, Arizona. He has served as music director of the Arizona Repertory Singers, conducted the annual Tucson Messiah Sing-In, and was the founding artistic director of the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware, the state’s first GALA choir. Prolific as a conductor of works for chorus and orchestra, he has led performances of Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Israel in Egypt, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s “Lord Nelson” Mass, Fauré’s Requiem, Honegger’s King David, Finzi’s In Terra Pax and Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. He has twice conducted performances at the National Cathedral in Washington, most recently of Gregorio Allegri’s iconic work, Miserere. A passionate advocate for new music, he conducted the East-Coast premiere of Jake Heggie’s Anna Madrigal Remembers (text by Armistead Maupin) in addition to premieres of works by Karen Siegel and Ricky Ian Gordon. The Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Weekly have described his ensembles’ performances as “powerful,” “sublime,” “outstanding,” and “chill-inducing.”

Dr. Jones has served on the music faculty at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Wesley College, Culver-Stockton College, The Music School of Delaware, and Saint Andrew’s School. He holds degrees from New York University, Indiana University, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from the University of Arizona. Trained first as a singer, he has performed as baritone soloist and professional chorister with Opera Delaware, at Exeter and Truro Cathedrals in the U.K., and at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin and Grace Church in New York City. In 1996 he was selected for the prestigious National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Intern Program at Ohio State University. He has enjoyed an unusually rich education in the vocal arts, having been exposed to the teaching of such vocal pedagogy luminaries as Margaret Harshaw, Giorgio Tozzi, Virginia Zeani, Camilla Williams, Walter Cassel and Shirlee Emmons. His students regularly win prestigious vocal competitions, have been accepted to All-State and All-Eastern Choruses, and have appeared with such performing arts organizations as the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Delaware.

Elliot is in frequent demand as an adjudicator, including the University of Arizona’s Larry Day and Marguerite Ough vocal competitions, and the University of Delaware’s concerto competition. He is the founding host/pianist of Downtown Tucson’s Piano Bar, and his work with singers there was recently featured on National Public Radio/Arizona Public Media. More information can be found at www.ElliotJones.net.