Dr. Kathryn Hylton

Biography

Kathryn Hylton serves as the Associate Director of Choral Activities at Penn State, conducting the Oriana Singers and Vocal Dimensions Jazz Ensemble. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in choral literature, conducting, and choral methodology. Hylton has worked as a guest conductor, leading ensembles for organizations such as the PMEA, NYSSMA, and the ACDA, as well as for the Maryland Summer Chorus Orchestra and the University of Maryland’s Bach Cantata Series. She has prepared collegiate choirs for masterwork collaborations with major orchestras. Hylton is a dedicated member of the American Choral Directors Association, currently serving on the Pennsylvania ACDA Board as the Repertoire Resources Chair for Upper Voices. In addition to her work as a conductor and music educator, she is also a composer, arranger, and Dalcroze practitioner. Her primary research areas include contemporary choral singing, Renaissance vocal music, and teaching methods, especially those developed by Émile Jaques-Dalcroze. Before her position at Penn State, she taught at Blair Academy in New Jersey and St. Thomas Academy in Maryland, along with various church music roles across northern Maryland and New York. Hylton earned her bachelor's degree in music composition and theory from Hofstra University, followed by master's and doctoral degrees in choral conducting from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Maryland.

Research Interests

Courses