Phillip Collister-Murray, DMA

he/him/his

Chair & Professor

Phillip Collister

Contact Info

Phone:
Office:
CA 3095 or CA 2108 (studio)

Education

DMA, Voice
University of Maryland, College Park

Doctoral Certificate, Voice
Northwestern University

MM, Voice
Northwestern University

BA, Voice & Theatre
Marycrest College

Areas of Expertise

Applied Voice
Opera Production, Directing, and Conducting
Vocal Pedagogy
Vocal Literature
Solo & Ensemble Performance
Higher Education Administration

Biography

Phillip Collister, Professor of Voice and Music for the Stage, earned a DMA in Voice & Opera from University of Maryland College Park in 1996, Master of Music and Performance Certificate in Voice & Opera from Northwestern in 1986 and 1987, and Bachelor of Arts in Music/Theatre from Marycrest College in 1985.

Collister has performed extensively as a soloist in opera, oratorio, and recital. He has performed with the Washington Bach Consort, Washington Bach Sinfonia, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Maryland Handel Festival, Bach Concert Series, Baltimore Opera, and internationally at the Handel Festival in Halle, Germany. He is the Music Director of Young Victorian Theatre Company in Baltimore and has served as conductor for Baltimore Concert Opera and as artist faculty/opera conductor at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. He maintains an active solo concert schedule which has included performances at Carnegie Hall, St. Peter's Concert Series (NYC), a recital tour of American Art Song in both the United States and Germany, and numerous recitals at Towson University. He is the producer and director of Towson's Music for the Stage which produces operas, musicals, and workshop programs each semester. In 2010, Collister formed the resident children’s opera company Opera in a Can devoted to fostering a love of opera in young children. Collister also teaches private voice, vocal pedagogy, and survey of vocal literature. At Towson, he has been responsible for producing, coordinating and helping to obtain funding for several festivals and special international events including the Kurt Weill Festival (2010), Opera Week (2011), and as Producing Artistic Director of the Maryland Arts Festival (2001-2006).

His opera and musical theatre directing and/or conducting credits include Le Nozze di Figaro, The Magic Flute, Così fan tutte, The Medium, Mahagonny Songspiel, The Threepenny Opera, Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, Yeomen of the Guard, The Mikado, Riders to the Sea, The Wandering Scholar, and (musicals) Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Ragtime, Gypsy, How to Succeed in Business,Hair, among many others. He is currently a member of the professional performing ensemble Trio Montage dedicated to expanding the vocal repertoire for voice, clarinet, and piano. He is also a member of quinTUs, the faculty vocal quintet at Towson University and serves as Music Director of the Roland Park Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Md.