Scott Hochstetler, DMA, is Professor of Music at Goshen College, where he teaches and conducts in the choral, vocal and opera/musical theater areas. At Goshen College, Hochstetler directs the low voice ensemble, Vox Profundi, and Chamber Choir. He is also the musical director of Camerata Singers, an area professional choir. Previous appointments include Western Mennonite School (OR), the University of Michigan – Flint, and Corban College (OR).
Dr. Hochstetler is a diverse conductor, having successfully led church, school, college, and community ensembles, and worked with singers from novice to professional. Under his direction, the Goshen College tenor/bass choir Vox Profundi performed to acclaim at the ACDA regional convention in March 2012. Hochstetler is an active guest clinician, and has led groups on tours throughout the USA and Canada. He served as guest conductor for the 2020 District 2A Circle the State with Song middle school choir, and he served as guest conductor for the 2016 Mennonite Schools Council Choir Festival in Iowa, where he led over 400 high school students from 13 schools throughout the US and Canada. He will again lead the MSC Choir Festival in April, 2024. Hochstetler is the founder and music director for the annual Goshen College Low Voice Festival. He has also prepared choruses for performances with the symphony orchestras of Elkhart, Ft. Wayne, Toledo, Lansing and Detroit. In May 2015, Hochstetler appeared with the Goshen College Chamber Choir on NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion. In fall 2022, he conducted Vivaldi’s Magnificat with the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra and Camerata Singers.
In the areas of opera and musical theater, Hochstetler has served as music director and/or conductor for numerous productions including Into the Woods, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Orfeo ed Euridice, The Pirates of Penzance, Godspell 2012, Le Nozze di Figaro, Dido and Aeneas, Old Maid and the Thief, Urinetown, Utopia Limited, Trial by Jury and The Music Man.
As a baritone, Dr. Hochstetler has performed opera and oratorio roles and given recitals in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Oregon. He performed as baritone soloist with the symphony orchestras of Lansing, Elkhart, and Toledo and has sung in choirs under major conductors including Soo Han, Vance George, Helmut Rilling, Nicholas Kramer, Robert King, Gustav Meier, Dennis Keene and Moses Hogan. A passionate vocal pedagogue, Hochstetler’s voice students have consistently placed highly in vocal competitions, including winners of the 2019, 2016 and 2013 Indiana NATS competition, and winners of NBC’s The Voice. As a scholar, Hochstetler’s interests are choral diction and peace-themed choral masterworks.
Hochstetler holds a DMA in choral conducting from Michigan State University, a double MM in conducting and voice from the University of Michigan, an MAT in education from Western Oregon University, and a BA in music and biology from Goshen College.
Dr. Hochstetler lives in Goshen, Indiana with his wife Rachel and two children, Leah and Aaron. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking Thai food and riding his bike on the Pumpkinvine Trail.
