Deborah Simpkin King

Dr. Deborah Simpkin King is a distinguished choral conductor, new music advocate, and master teacher holding multiple leadership positions in the music community. She serves as Director of Choirs at Manhattan School of Music, Founding Artistic Director of Ember Choral Arts (formerly Schola Cantorum on Hudson), and Director of Music and Arts at Trinity Episcopal Church in Asbury Park, NJ. Additionally, she conducts for Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival and MidAmerica Productions.

Dr. King's research and professional interests focus on contemporary choral music, particularly post-premiere performances of new works. Through her initiative PROJECT: ENCORE™, she promotes the continued performance of contemporary compositions after their initial premieres. Her work with the Ember Ablaze Composer Lab places her at the forefront of new music development, working directly with composers to ensure their works receive sustained performance attention.

As a prominent voice in the choral community, Dr. King serves as Chair of the New York Choral Consortium and previously coordinated the NJ-ACDA High School Choral Festival from 1994 to 2019. Her commitment to arts education is evident through various initiatives at Ember Choral Arts and the expansion of the Big Sing Jr program.

Her recent work shows a strong emphasis on thematic programming that connects choral music to life events, cultural celebrations, and historical narratives. The webcasts she has produced explore music for Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, life transitions, and Holocaust remembrance, demonstrating her ability to connect choral music to broader human experiences.

Dr. King contributes to the field through her monthly column in ACDA's The Choral Journal and as host of public radio's Sounds Choral, syndicated through WWFM. Her leadership extends to nurturing the next generation of musicians through arts education initiatives and choral festivals.