10/19/07

Dr. Jason Rinehart, Conductor, is currently the Director of Instrumental Studies at St. Louis Community College-Meramec where he conducts the Meramec Symphonic Band teach courses in Music Appreciation and Basic Music. He is also currently the Principal Conductor for the Fountain City Brass Band based in Kansas City. Prior to coming to St. Louis, Dr. Rinehart was the Interim Director of the Wind Symphony at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Director of Orchestras at Benedictine College in Atchison, KS. Jason completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at UMKC’s Conservatory of Music in 2005. In the Spring of 2004, Dr. Rinehart was hired by UMKC to be the Adjunct Assistant Professor of Orchestras while Dr. Olson took a leave of absence. Jason served as an assistant conductor for the Conservatory Orchestras, the Conservatory Opera, Music Theater and guest conducted the Conservatory Wind Ensemble in concert. He was the Music Director/Conductor for Musica Nova, the Conservatory’s contemporary music ensemble for three years. He holds a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting from Southern Methodist University and his bachelor of Music Education from Texas Tech University. Jason has worked with the Kansas City Ballet as an assistant conductor for three seasons. In Dallas, Jason was the conductor for the Brickworks Theatre Company fully staged production of Jesus Christ Superstar, was a guest conductor at the University of Dallas’ production of Camelot, and the founder and conductor of the Divertimenti Chamber Players. In the summer of 1999, Jason attended the Brevard Music Center as a conducting fellow studying under David Effron and Gunther Schuller. An avid conductor of opera/ musical theater, Dr. Rinehart has conducted children’s outreach performances of Seymour Barab’s Chanticleer and Humperdink’s Hansel and Gretel. He has also lead main stage performances of Cosi fan tutte, the Magic Flute, Dido and Aeneas, Hindemith’s Hin und zuruck, Puccini’s La Rondine, and Massenet’s Manon, Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin, Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World, and Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Sorcerer.