Spoleto Festival USA is pleased to congratulate Dr. Amanda Quist, Music Director of the Spoleto Festival USA Chorus, on her appointment as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Notre Dame.
Quist made her debut as Music Director of the Festival Chorus during the 2026 season, leading the ensemble in a critically acclaimed performance of Mozart’s Mass in C Minor. Her appointment marked a new chapter for one of the Festival’s most celebrated artistic traditions, bringing together professional singers from across the country for ambitious choral and orchestral repertoire.
A nationally recognized conductor, educator, and scholar, Quist joins Notre Dame from Western Michigan University, where she served as Director of Choral Activities. Her distinguished career has also included leadership positions at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and Westminster Choir College, where she received both the Distinguished Teaching Award and the Joan Mazzotti Award for Women’s Leadership.
Widely praised for her artistry and musicianship, Quist’s work has been described by critics as “transformative, beautifully prepared, gripping” and capable of “leaving the audience breathless.” Throughout her career, she has collaborated on choral preparations with many of the world’s leading ensembles and orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Palm Beach Symphony, Dresden Staatskapelle, Seraphic Fire, and Spoleto Festival USA.
In addition to her conducting achievements, Quist is an accomplished educator, researcher, and advocate for choral music. Her ensemble Westminster Kantorei earned first place in the 2019 American Prize for Choral Performance and has appeared at major festivals and conferences throughout the United States. She is also a frequent guest conductor and lecturer, has conducted All-State choirs nationwide, and recently served on the Choral GRAMMY Screening Committee as a professional member of the Recording Academy.
At Notre Dame, Quist will conduct Concordia, the Sacred Music Program’s premier choir, teach graduate conducting students, and oversee choral activities within the Department of Music.
Spoleto Festival USA congratulates Dr. Quist on this exciting achievement and is proud to celebrate this milestone alongside her.