Jennifer Sengin

Ensembles and Conducting: Choirs

Jennifer Sengin is the Associate Director of Choral Activities at Georgia State University where she conducts the Women’s Chorus and Choral Union and teaches graduate choral literature, graduate and undergraduate conducting, undergraduate choral methods, and supervises student teachers. Under her direction, the Women’s Chorus recently performed at the Georgia Music Educators Association Conference in January, 2020. Dr. Sengin is very passionate about recruiting. In collaboration with the Director of Choral Activities, she has worked to increase enrollment in the choral program at GSU. In 2021, Dr. Sengin was named a semi-finalist for The American Prize in Conducting–college/university division and the Women’s Chorus was named a semi-finalist in Performance–college/university division.

In the Spring 2020 semester, Dr. Sengin served as the Interim Director of Choral Activities at Georgia State University. During that semester, she conducted University Singers, Women’s Chorus, and coached graduate choral conducting students. In collaboration with the band and choral areas, Dr. Sengin wrote and received a Center for International and Collaborative Arts (CENCIA) grant to sponsor a two-day residency with composer, Eric Whitacre. This residency involved over 1,000 individuals from GSU and the surrounding community for a high school festival, workshops, conducting master class, and culminating concert. In order to create additional graduate assistantship opportunities for students for the Choral Conducting Master’s students at GSU, Dr. Sengin facilitated community partnerships with The Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, First Baptist Church of Roswell, and Druid Hills Presbyterian Church.

Dr. Sengin also planned and coordinated the Georgia State Gospel Festival in spring of 2019 with guest artists Bishop Chantel Wright and Callie Day. This festival was a cooperative effort with the GSU Office of Educational Outreach and featured Atlanta area high school, community, church, and collegiate choirs.

An active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and presenter, Dr. Sengin has conducted honor choirs in Georgia, Florida, New Jersey, Michigan, and New York, and presented sessions with the Dublin Youth Singers (Ireland), NAFME Eastern Division Conference, ACDA Central/North Central Division Conference, Georgia Music Educators Conference, Florida Music Educators Conference, and at the Virtual mirabai Women’s Leadership Retreat among others. Dr. Sengin frequently provides presentations on recruiting and retaining singers, score study and rehearsal strategies, movement as a rehearsal strategy, and building community in the choral rehearsal in both a virtual and in-person settings.

Dr. Sengin earned her doctorate at Michigan State University, where she studied with Drs. David Rayl, Sandra Snow, and Jonathan Reed. At Michigan State, Dr. Sengin directed the Women’s Glee Club and led several large-scale recruitment events. In addition, she received the Dissertation Completion Award for her document that explores topics of performing culturally diverse repertoire, culturally relevant pedagogy, and cultural appropriation. She earned a Master’s degree from Ithaca College, where she studied conducting with Dr. Janet Galván and Lawrence Doebler and holds a Bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey. 

Prior to pursuing doctoral studies, Dr. Sengin was the Director of Choirs at East Brunswick High School in New Jersey. Under her direction, the choirs performed at Carnegie Hall, the New Jersey State Theatre, and Princeton Chapel on the Princeton University Campus. During her tenure, Dr. Sengin nearly doubled enrollment in the choir program (from 150 to over 270 students) and founded the Men’s and Women’s choral ensembles.

Dr. Sengin currently serves on the National Board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization, the R&R Chair for Youth and Student Activities on the GA-ACDA Board and as Faculty/Administrator of the Choral Music Experience for Choral Teacher Education course at Michigan State University, and has taught additional courses at Michigan State and Central Connecticut State Universities. She has published and contributed to articles in the Choral Journal and Tempo Magazine, and currently sings in The American Prize-winning ensemble, mirabai, under the direction of Sandra Snow.