Jo-Michael Scheibe

Level 6 Tutor

Professor Emeritus of Choral Music at the Department of Choral and Sacred Music at the USC Thornton School of Music  

Jo-Michael Scheibe chaired the Department of Choral and Sacred Music at the USC Thornton School of Music from 2008 to 2020 and continued to teach and conduct as a full-time professor in the department until the end of December 2022. He was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus of Choral Music. Scheibe served as National President of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) (2011-2013), Western Division President (1991-1993), and National Repertoire and Standards Chairperson for Community Colleges (1980-1989). He served as a Member of the Board of the International Federation for Choral Music (2020-2023).

Ensembles under his leadership sang at seven national ACDA conventions, two national conventions of the National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC), the National Conference of the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and the World Choral Symposium in South Korea. He remains professionally active as a conductor and teacher, with recent workshops, clinics, and guest conducting in Taiwan, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Austria, and the United States in 2025. 2026 workshops, clinics, conducting and teaching, including workshops in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, California, and Thailand, and on the faculty of the Kansas City Conducting Institute in July, and SingIreland International Choral Conducting Summer School in August.

Scheibe collaborated with Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, the Rolling Stones, Sir Elton John, the Eagles, and Kenny Loggins and has prepared choruses for Helmuth Rilling, Sir Colin Davis, Michael Tilson Thomas, James Conlin, James Judd, Carl St. Clair, Jeffrey Kahane, and Jamie Martin. Recordings of his ensembles are available on the Albany, Cane, Centaur, NAXOS, Arsis, and ANS labels.

Music publishers Walton, Colla Voce, Hal Leonard, MusicSpoke, Santa Barbara Music, and Pavane distribute the Jo-Michael Scheibe Choral Series internationally. Scheibe was the editor and co-authored Teaching Music Through Performance – Choir Volume 4 and Teaching Music Through Performance – Choir Volume 5.

In April of 2023, Scheibe was named one of the fourteen US Fulbright Scholars in Ireland for 2023-2024. His home base was north of Dublin, in Balbriggan, at the Irish Institute for Music and Song for Fall 2023. He conducted the IIMS Chamber Choir at the Institute, and Còr Fingal taught a Conducting Course. During the Fall of 2023, Scheibe was active throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland, working with ensembles of all levels, lecturing, and visiting choirs throughout Ireland. Jo-Michael Scheibe received his DMA from USC (1985) and earned his BA and MM degrees from California State University at Long Beach, where he was named a Distinguished Graduate.

 

Scheibe headshot