Dr. Joel Schut, Director of Orchestras at Grand Valley State University, steps aboard at St. Cecilia Music Center as Conductor of the School of Music's Philharmonic Orchestra

St. Cecilia Music Center (SCMC) is pleased to announce Dr. Joel Schut, Director of Orchestras at Grand Valley State University, as the new conductor of SCMC’s Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the School of Music ensemble program. This orchestra is SCMC’s highest level orchestra complete with strings, winds, and percussion.

St. Cecilia Music Center Executive/Artistic Director Cathy Holbrook states, “We are so pleased that Dr. Joel Schut will be the new conductor of St. Cecilia Music Center’s Philharmonic Orchestra.  Along with his already busy schedule leading the music program at Grand Valley State University, we are excited to have Joel’s inspiration and energy to take our talented students to new levels of excellence.”

Dr. Joel Schut is the current Director of Orchestras at Grand Valley State University where he teaches courses in conducting, orchestral performance and music education. He is an active clinician for all-state, regional and honor orchestras, and a passionate advocate for school music programs and youth orchestras. As a conductor, he has appeared with the Crane Symphony Orchestra, GVSU Symphony Orchestra, Michigan State Opera Theatre, Michigan State Symphony Orchestra and the University of Colorado-Boulder Symphony, Philharmonia and Chamber Orchestras. He served as Music Director of the Livingston Symphony Orchestra, founding director of the Detroit Medical Orchestra, conductor of the Denver Young Artists Conservatory Orchestra and organizer of the Michigan Teachers Orchestra. Passionate about inspiring the next generation of musicians, he is a graduate of the Americas Global Leaders Program and has conducted and performed with students in the US, China, Germany, Honduras, Tunisia, Mexico, Myanmar and Afghanistan. He received his Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from Michigan State University, Masters in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and Bachelors in Violin Performance and Music Education from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance where he was awarded the Albert A. Stanley Medal, the school's highest honor.

For more information about the music programs for youth and adults at St. Cecilia Music Center, see School of Music at scmcgr.org/school-of-music. 

St. Cecilia Music Center’s mission is to promote the study, appreciation and

performance of music in order to enrich the lives of West Michigan residents. 

The Center fulfills this mission by 

presenting visiting world-class artists in concert, 

providing music education for all ages through our School of Music and 

preserving a historic building for musical activities and community events

###