Dr. Joshua Harper

Praised for his “inspired” conducting (The Daily Courier), Dr. Joshua Harper is thrilled to be going into his 5th season as Guest Conductor with the Arizona Philharmonic conducting Bach’s monumental St. John Passion. Harper was recently named the second Artistic Director for the Choral Society of Northeast Pennsylvania as they enter their 26th season. Along with their regular season programming, he will lead the Society in collaborations with the Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic and Maestra Mélisse Brunet. Shortly after his time in Arizona, Harper will lead the Wilkes Chamber Singers as they join forces with the Arcadia Chorale for Bach’s B-minor Mass, also in late March ‘25.

Dr. Harper is currently the Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Choral Conducting & Applied Voice at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. At Wilkes, he conducts the Chamber Singers and University Chorus. He also teaches music theory, and private voice, and serves as the musical director for all musical productions. He has performed on some of the nation’s largest stages, including Carnegie Hall and Jazz At Lincoln Center. Harper is the founder of the Quartz Ensemble, a fully professional chamber choir drawing singers from across the country of international renown. He maintains an active schedule singing, adjudicating, and presenting his research across Pennsylvania and Arizona, as well as engagements in Tennessee later next Spring. He holds the Doctor of Music degree from the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University with a minor in Music History and Literature.

Joshua Harper's Curriculum Vitae (CV) (.pdf)

• Harper: “Drawing The Line: Caroline Shaw’s Use of Baroque Dance Forms in Partita for 8 Voices.”, (2020), The Choral Scholar & American Choral Review, Vol. 58, No. 3, 26-49.
• Harper: “Caroline Shaw's use of Renaissance and Baroque dance forms in her Partita for 8 voices”, (2020) IUScholarworks, Indiana University.
• Schubert, Franz (ed. Harper), (2015) Die Einsiedelei, Colla Voce Music, INC.

Preach, Sister, Preach (2019), Katherine Jolly, soprano,
“Absent an Adjustment” with Joshua Harper, conducting; Parma Records;

• Harper: (2025) Pennsylvania State Thespian Conference, “Making The Cut: The Art of Cutting Your Audition Material”.
• Harper: (2024) Mountain Artist Guild Presentation: “Drawing the Line: Use of Sol Lewitt’s Wall Drawings in Caroline Shaw’s Partita for 8 Voices.”
• Harper: (2023) Pennsylvania State Thespian Conference, “Beyond The "Warmup": Doing More With Your Vocal Exercises”
• Harper, Dickau, & Laney: (2022) Idaho ACDA Non-Mixed Choral Festival, adjudicator, and clinician
• Harper, Cossey, Peterson: (2022) Arizona ACDA High School Choral Invitational, adjudicator, and clinician
• Harper, Cossey: (2021) Arizona ACDA 2021 Summer Workshop, “Looking Forward: Resources, Repertoire, and Advice for the Choral Professional
• Harper, Mabry: (2020) Austin Peay University, Graduate Opera Workshop, “The Opera Chorus”,
• Harper: (2020) Yavapai College Library Distinguished Guest Lecture Series, “Drawing the Line: Historical Connections in the Music of Caroline Shaw”,
• Harper, Clark: (2016) Massachusetts Music Educators Association, High School Choral Music Reading Session,