Summer Institutes - Choral

William Weinher
Professor Emeritus
Eastman School of Music

Week 1: June 7-11, 2027

William Weinert served from 1994 to 2026 as Professor of Conducting and Director of Choral Activities at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, where he conducted the Eastman Chorale and the Eastman-Rochester Chorus and supervised the graduate programs in choral conducting. Weinert previously taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Southern Mississippi, and served as guest professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany. Ensembles under Weinert’s direction have performed at the International Choral Festival in Nancy, France, BachFest Malaysia, and at conferences of the American Choral Directors Association, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and the Music Educators National Conference.

In 2007, Weinert became founding musical director of Voices, a professional vocal ensemble based in Rochester. Voices' repertoire has ranged from the Bach Passions and B-minor Mass to masterworks of the French and Italian Baroque, and masterworks from the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries.

Jessica Nápoles
Professor of Choral Music Education
University of North Texas

Week 2: June 14-17, 2027

Jessica Nápoles is Professor of Choral Music Education and Conductor of the Concert Choir at the University of North Texas. A Florida native with a Cuban-American background, Dr. Nápoles taught in the public schools of Miami and Orlando, FL. She received 3 degrees in music education from the Florida State University. Before her appointment at UNT, she taught at the University of Utah for 11 years.

Dr. Nápoles is an active conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, frequently engaging in guest conducting opportunities locally, regionally, and nationally. She has conducted All-State and honor choirs in over 20 states. In addition to her work as a conductor, Dr. Nápoles is a well-known researcher, with numerous publications in prestigious journals.

Dr. Nápoles currently serves as the National ACDA President-Elect.