Dr. Amanda Quist
All-State Honors Choir Director

Director of Choral Activities

Western Michigan University 

Dr. Amanda Quist joined Western Michigan University’s Irving S. Gilmore School of Music as Director of Choral Activities beginning Fall 2024. A WMU alum and Michigan native, Dr. Quist comes to Western from the University of Miami, where she has served as Director of Choral Studies for the Frost School of Music. Quist’s previous post was at Westminster Choir College, where she served as Associate Professor and Chair of the Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Department. She is the recipient of Westminster Choir College’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and the Mazzotti Award for Women’s Leadership. Prior to her tenure at Westminster, Dr. Quist was Director of Choral Activities at San José State University, and taught high school and middle school music in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education and MM in Choral Conducting from WMU, and earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas, and Doctoral Cognate in Voice Pedagogy and Science.

The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, and New York Classical Review have described Amanda Quist’s work as “transformative, beautifully prepared, gripping,” “bridging the vocal and instrumental textures with perfect intonation,” and “leaving the audience breathless.” Dr. Quist has collaborated in choral preparations with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Palm Beach Symphony, Dresden Staatskapelle, Seraphic Fire, and the Spoleto Festival. Her early music ensemble, Westminster Kantorei, won first place in the 2018 American Prize for Choral Performance. Under Quist’s direction, Kantorei was invited to perform at the American Choral Directors Association’s (ACDA) Eastern Division Conference, Boston Early Music Festival, American Handel Festival, and Interkultur, and released its first commercial recording in 2017, Lumina, distributed by Naxos. Quist’s other honors include the James Mulholland National Choral Award and the Audrey Davidson Early Music Award. Quist was invited to serve as a clinician in Indonesia, Australia, and to participate in the International Exchange Program in South Africa through the American Choral Directors Association.

Quist frequently serves as a guest conductor and lecturer across the US and abroad. A professional member of the GRAMMY recording academy, Dr. Quist recently served on the Choral GRAMMY Screening Committee for the 64th awards ceremony. Her research is published in the Choral Journal, Lexington Books, and GIA Publications. Her choral compositions are published by Walton Music and GIA. Dr. Quist serves as the editor for two choral series, with Walton Music, and Gentry Publications.

All-State Choir Repertoire list