Colin McAllister

Colin McAllister, D.M.A., serves as Associate Professor and Director of Humanities in the Visual and Performing Arts Department at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, part of the College of Letters, Arts, & Sciences. He also co-directs the UCCS Visual & Performing Arts Music Program and directs the Sagitta Guitar Ensemble. Professor McAllister organizes the Solertia Humanities Speaker Series and holds a Faculty Career Fellowship with both the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences and the T. Rowe Price Career and Innovation Center.

Professor McAllister's research focuses on contemporary music performance and pedagogy, musical modernism, and the apocalyptic paradigm across literature, music, and art. His work examines how apocalyptic themes have influenced artistic expression throughout history. He has co-founded the soundON Festival (held annually since 2007 in La Jolla, California) and founded the Through a Glass Darkly symposium, a collaboration between UCCS, Concordia University Montréal, McGill University, and Colorado College.

His extensive publication record spans academic works like Music in the Apocalyptic Mode (Brill, 2023) and Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature (Cambridge University Press, 2020), along with numerous musical recordings including Aeneas in the Underworld (MicroFest Records, 2023) and instructional series for The Great Courses. Professor McAllister's work demonstrates a unique integration of scholarly research and professional performance.

His performance career has earned critical acclaim, with reviews describing his work as 'sparkling...delivered superbly' (San Francisco Chronicle), 'ravishing' (San Diego Union Tribune), and 'an amazing tour de force' (San Diego Story). He performs regularly with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, Playground Ensemble, and the Hennessy 6, and leads his own jazz quartet. He is endorsed by PRS Guitars and serves as an Artist Partner with Taylor Guitars.

Professor McAllister teaches courses in guitar performance, music history, contemporary music, and humanities topics including 'Visions of Darkness: Apocalypse and Dystopia in Literature, Art & Film.' His interdisciplinary background, with degrees in both music performance and history, creates distinctive opportunities for students interested in the intersection of artistic practice and scholarly inquiry.