Matthew Erpelding is a member of the vocal music staff at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. He conducts the A Cappella Choir and the Select Treble Choir; as well as Vocal Point, the preparatory vocal jazz ensemble; and Ignition, the preparatory show choir. Prior to his appointment at Valley, he was the Director of Choral Activities in Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA, where he conducts the College, Concert, and Chamber Choirs, and teaches courses in music education and choral conducting. Dr. Erpelding was an award-winning Director of Choral Activities at Hopewell Valley Central High School in Pennington, New Jersey, as well as at Boylan Central Catholic High School in Rockford, Illinois. Dr. Erpelding likewise has considerable experience as a church musician. He conducted the Sanctuary Choir at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Rockford, Illinois, and was the director of the Chapel Choir, Youth Choir, and Bell Choirs at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Additionally, Dr. Erpelding served as a member of the conducting faculty at the Performing Arts Institute at Wyoming Seminary in Wilkes-Barre, PA, from 2012-16, and is in frequent demand as a guest clinician and conductor.
Dr. Erpelding was awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, as well as a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Northern Illinois University. His conducting teachers include Timothy Stalter, Eric Johnson, Tim Peter, and Weston Noble. Dr. Erpelding’s choral works have been performed around the world by community, school, and university ensembles, and are currently available for purchase through Earthsongs Choral Music, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, and Heritage Music Press. An award-winning educator, musician and scholar, Dr. Erpelding is a member of both the American Choral Directors Association and NAfME: The National Association for Music Educators. He currently serves as the Ensemble-Specific Repertoire and Resources Chair for ACDA-PA, and previously as the Higher Education Representative to the Curriculum/ Instruction Committee for PMEA District 7.
|
Matthew Erpelding