CINCINNATI, OH (November 19, 2024)—Vocal Arts Ensemble, the region’s premier professional vocal ensemble, has announced the appointment of Joe Miller as the fifth Music Director in the ensemble’s 45-year history, following a search that drew national and international interest. Miller will begin his tenure as Music Director in the 2025–26 season.
Miller currently serves as Professor of Conducting and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), since 2020; as conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra Symphonic Choir, since 2016; and as Director of Choral Activities at the Spoleto Festival USA, since 2006, where he will serve through the 2025 season of Spoleto Festival USA. Miller was also Director of Choral Activities at Westminster Choir College from 2006 to 2020.
Miller received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting with a cognate in Voice from CCM in 1997 and received his Master of Music in Choral Conducting from CCM in 1992. While in graduate school, Miller sang with VAE from 1990 to 1993.
During his tenure at CCM, Miller has produced staged versions of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, a performance of Bach’s Magnificat that incorporated dance, and a multi-media presentation of Caroline Shaw’s To the Hands, among other innovative, multi-media concert experiences. In other capacities, Miller has presented fully memorized and staged versions of Joby Talbot’s highly demanding Path of Miracles, John Adams’ El Niño and Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Anthracite Fields. Commercial recordings led by Miller have been praised for their “gorgeous singing” (American Record Guide) and hailed as “simply astounding” (Minnesota Public Radio’s Classical Notes).
“Miller’s vast and celebrated experience in the choral field as well as his deep connections here in Cincinnati make him the clear choice to lead VAE into its next chapter,” remarked Board Chairman John G. Earls. “Miller’s visionary approach to choral singing and choral concerts will ensure Cincinnati as a destination for both professional singers and audiences, and at the heart will be Cincinnati’s premier professional vocal ensemble. Through multi-disciplinary and immersive choral experiences, increased commissioning and commercial recording releases, and deep engagement with the musical and technical industries in Cincinnati, Miller’s vision for VAE is vibrant and exciting.”
“I am deeply honored to be named the next Music Director of VAE,” stated Joe Miller. “It is exciting to return to an ensemble that was formative in my career as a singer and conductor. This is an opportune time for VAE to strengthen its ties to the Cincinnati community while building its national presence. My vision is to curate sonic and visceral musical experiences that transform the lives of singers and listeners, to support the aspirations of singers, to foster creativity through collaborations with organizations that broaden the scope of choral performance and VAE, and to recognize the artistic potential for choral singing in Cincinnati.”
JOE MILLER
Recognized as a visionary conductor and creative artist, Joe Miller maintains an active performance schedule. Miller currently serves as Professor of Conducting and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). In addition to his work at CCM, Miller is artistic director of choral activities for the renowned Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina and, since 2016, has served as conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra Symphonic Choir. In the 2025–26 season, Miller begins his tenure as Music Director of Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble.
During the 2024–25 season at CCM, Miller leads the CCM Chamber Choir in tour performances of Bach’s Singet dem Herrn and he prepares the chorus for Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony No. 2 (Mark Gibson), Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem (Brett Scott) and a residency with renowned Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds. With the Philadelphia Orchestra Symphonic Choir, repertoire this season includes Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 (Yannick Nézet-Séguin), Verdi’s Requiem Mass (Riccardo Muti) and Handel’s Messiah (Yannick Nézet-Séguin). Miller will close the 2024–25 season with new works and projects for the Spoleto Festival USA.
The soundtrack (Deutsche Grammophon) to the 2023 film Maestro, a biographical romantic drama about the relationship between famed composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre, features the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, prepared by Miller, singing the iconic “Make Our Garden Grow” from Bernstein’s Candide.
Miller made his conducting debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2021 conducting Handel’s Messiah. Recent collaborations with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra have included premiere performances of Kevin Puts’ The Hours with Renée Fleming, Kelli O’Hara and Jennifer Johnson Cano. The 2024 Philadelphia Symphonic Choir’s performances in Carnegie Hall and at Marian Anderson Hall celebrated Nathalie Stutzmann’s long collaboration as principal guest conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra.
From 2006 to 2020, Miller served as Professor of Conducting and director of choral activities at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. In 2019, Miller led the Westminster Choir in a staged performance of Joby Talbot’s demanding Path of Miracles at the 2019 Spoleto Festival USA, after which D.C. Theatre Scene wrote, “Joe Miller is a fearless artist. His bold leadership and trust in these young singers enabled his choristers to forego the ‘stand and deliver,’ score-bound habits of their genre and ‘walk with him’ on this special journey. Not only did the singers need to memorize their parts, no mean feat, but follow his baton’s bid from any part of the auditorium and sing in any body position. Miller constantly challenged them in the process and inspired them to work confidently, well outside their comfort zone.”
Miller’s ensembles have performed throughout the world, giving concert tours in Italy, Germany, Austria, France, England and China, and in Spain for the World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona. His choirs have toured extensively throughout the United States for the American Choral Directors Association national and regional conferences, including groundbreaking performances of Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Anthracite Fields at the historic Roebling Wire Works as part of Westminster’s Transforming Space project.
Miller has been praised for his recordings. American Record Guide wrote about Frank Martin: Mass for Double Choir, “This is gorgeous singing…with perfect blend, intonation, diction, ensemble and musicality.” The Heart’s Reflection: Music of Daniel Elder was hailed by Minnesota Public Radio’s Classical Notes as “simply astounding.” Miller’s debut recording with the Westminster Choir, Flower of Beauty, received four stars from Choir & Organ magazine and earned critical praise from American Record Guide, which described the Westminster Choir as “the gold standard for academic choirs in America.”
Miller has collaborated with some of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, earning critical praise. After a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with The Cleveland Orchestra, The New York Times wrote, “Joe Miller’s Westminster Symphonic Choir was subtle when asked and powerful when turned loose.” Recent seasons have included performances with the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and Gustavo Dudamel.
Faculty appointments in addition to Westminster Choir College have included Western Michigan University and California State University, Stanislaus. Miller received his DMA in Choral Conducting with a cognate in Voice from CCM in 1997. He received his MM in Choral Conducting from CCM in 1992. In 1987, he graduated cum laude from the University of Tennessee with a BS in Music Education and Voice.
Vocal Arts ensemble
The Vocal Arts Ensemble (VAE) is Greater Cincinnati’s premier professional vocal ensemble dedicated to presenting passionate and innovative performances of choral music that raise and nurture the public’s appreciation of the life-enriching qualities of the choral arts.
VAE fills a unique niche in the Cincinnati region as a professional chamber choir. Earning a reputation for artistic excellence, VAE presents rich, passionate performances of a broad variety of choral works with precision and unparalleled virtuosity. VAE has enjoyed artistic leadership by some of the nation’s leaders in choral conducting, including Elmer Thomas, Earl Rivers, Donald Nally and Craig Hella Johnson.
Music Directors of VAE
1979–1988 Elmer Thomas
1988–2008 Earl Rivers
2009–2013 Donald Nally
2014–2024 Craig Hella Johnson
2025 Joe Miller
2024–25 VAE SEASON
Two opportunities remain to hear VAE this season. For more information, please visit https://vaecinci.com/.
CANDLELIT CHRISTMAS
SAT DEC 21, 2024, 7:30 PM
SUN DEC 22, 2024 7:30 PM
Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel at The Summit Country Day School
Matthew Swanson, conductor
VOICES OF EXILE
SAT MAR 1, 2025, 7:30 PM
Christ Church Cathedral
Elena Sharkova, conductor