Katie Gardiner

We celebrate the unique gifts and contributions of all members of our ensemble community, and foster an environment where we approach music with joy and integrity as artists, scholars, anthropologists, historians, and storytellers.

Katie Gardiner joined the Conservatory in 2023 as assistant professor of music. 

Gardiner conducts the Conservatory Choir and teaches a graduate seminar in choral literature. She completed a doctoral degree in choral conducting at the Jacobs School of Music in 2021, serving in positions as associate instructor of choral conducting and music theory. Her dissertation, “A Conductor’s Guide to the Music of Hildegard von Bingen,” which won the ACDA Julius Herford Dissertation Prize (2021), focuses on the editions available for Hildegard’s music and provides resources to support ensemble leaders in engaging with this repertoire. 

In addition to leading vocal ensembles, Gardiner has held several professional positions as an orchestral conductor: conducting the Second Winds ensemble at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana; serving as the cover conductor for the Carmel Symphony Orchestra in Carmel, Indiana; and conducting the Saratoga Youth Symphony in Saratoga Springs, New York. Prior to arriving in Indiana, Gardiner served on the music faculty at Skidmore College, where she held the position of choral director and lecturer in music from 2011 to 2018, conducting the Skidmore Community Chorus and Vocal Chamber Ensemble, and teaching music theory and private lessons in musicianship and voice. Additionally, she has served as visiting choral director at Williams College and the University at Albany, and conducted state and regional choral and orchestral festivals. 

Gardiner also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from the Hartt School of Music and a Master of Music in choral conducting from the Eastman School of Music. Gardiner currently serves as interim director of choirs at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts