Deborah King

Deborah Simpkin King, Ph.D., is a choral conductor, new music advocate, and master teacher.  She plays an active role in the vibrant Manhattan choral scene and serves the national and international music community through her guest conducting and body of published work.

Her leadership as a conductor is ongoing with the semi-professional Ember, of Ember Choral Arts; as Director of Music and Arts at the historic Trinity Episcopal Church in Asbury Park, NJ; as Conductor of the Manhattan School of Music Chorale; and as a conductor within Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival. Her commitment to nurturing the next generation in the arts can be seen through the arts education initiatives at Ember Choral Arts, her long-standing leadership of the NJ-ACDA High School Choral Festival, and the expansion of the New York Choral Consortium’s (which she Chairs) work to include young singers through the Big Sing, Jr.

Through PROJECT : ENCORE (which she founded in 2009), Dr. King is at the leading edge of the new music industry, working with composers in securing post-premiere performances, and commissioning and performing many premieres herself.  Her most recent advocacy initiative is the birth of the Ember Ablaze Composer Lab, with Robert Paterson as the founding Composer in Residence.

Dr. King is a published author and editor.  As a monthly columnist with ACDA’s Choral Journal and host of public radio’s Sounds Choral (syndicated through WWFM) she serves the music community internationally.