Described in this week’s New York Times as the preeminent choral conductor of this generation, Joseph Flummerfelt passed away March 1, 2019 in Indianapolis, at the age of 82. He worked with America’s most renowned orchestras and conductors. Cited by Leonard Bernstein as “the world’s greatest choral conductor,” Dr. Flummerfelt collaborated over five decades in the preparation of hundreds of choral/orchestral performances and recordings with such conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Ozawa and Robert Shaw. In addition to the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Flummerfelt’s choirs performed with numerous other well-known American and European orchestras.

Joseph Flummerfelt was born to the late John Ross Flummerfelt and Mavorette McGinnis Flummerfelt on February 24, 1937 in Vincennes, Indiana. His mother, his first piano teacher, discovered him playing by ear at age 5, improvising and composing pieces for piano. He received his bachelor’s degree in choral conducting from the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music and a doctorate from the University of Illinois.

Dr. Flummerfelt was a professor of choral conducting as well as conductor laureate and former artistic director at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, where he conducted the premier Westminster Choir for 33 years. As founder and musical director of the New York Choral Artists, he retired in 2016 after 44 years of choral conducting with the New York Philharmonic.

Flummerfelt made his conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic performing Haydn’s Creation in 1988. In 2001, he conducted the world premiere of Stephen Paulus’ Voices of Light with the New York Philharmonic and the Westminster Choir. He also conducted more than 60 choral/orchestral performances with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in the United States and Italy. He served as director of choral activities for the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. in Charleston, SC for 37 years, retiring in 2013 and for 23 years was the maestro del coro for the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy.

Flummerfelt’s Westminster Symphonic Choir and New York Choral artists have been featured in 45 recordings. He was nominated several times for a Grammy Award. His collaboration with Samuel Barber included the Grammy Award-winning recording of the composer’s opera, Anthony and Cleopatra. He received a Grammy for the New York Choral Artists recording of John Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls. His Delos recording of Brahms’ choral works was selected by The New York Times as the favorite among all existing Brahms recordings.

After retiring in 2004, Dr. Flummerfelt subsequently held visiting professorships at a number of universities. A master teacher, Flummerfelt’s many former students occupy a number of major choral positions throughout the United States. Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera, studied with Flummerfelt as a teenager in an advanced conducting summer workshop, and he cites him as one of the two major influences in his life as a conductor. A 2009 New York Times article wrote, “Mr. Nézet-Séguin called those sessions with Mr. Flummerfelt the only significant conducting lessons he ever had.”

Flummerfelt was awarded honorary doctorates from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Purdue University, Vincennes University, Ursinus College and DePauw University. He received DePauw’s two highest alumni awards: The Old Gold Goblet in 1988 and the DePauw Gold Medal in 2005.

Flummerfelt had recently served on the boards of the American Piano Association and Spoleto USA, as well as the “Music for All” Choral Music Artistic Committee for the National Choir Festival.

He is survived by his siblings, Kent Flummerfelt of Travelers Rest, SC, Pam Flummerfelt (Dr. Stephen) Rappaport of Indianapolis, and Carol Flummerfelt (Rollie) Helmling of Carmel, IN; as well as the following nieces and nephews, Mark Flummerfelt (Natalie DeOliveria) of Brooklyn, NY, Tom Flummerfelt (Dahlia Fetouh) of Winchester, MA, Heather Helmling (James) Carrick of Dublin, OH, Holly Helmling (Ashton) Fritz of Carmel, IN, Hillary Helmling (Matthew Turke) of New York, NY, Lauren Rappaport and Katie Rappaport, both of New York, NY.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions to any of the following: “Joseph R Flummerfelt Graduate Choral Music Fund” c/o University of Illinois School of Music Advancement, 1114 West Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801; or the “Joseph Flummerfelt Endowed Music Scholarship” c/o DePauw University, Robert G Bottoms Alumni and Development Center, 201 E. Seminary Street, Greencastle, IN 46135; or the “Joseph R Flummerfelt Endowed Choral Scholarship” c/o Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Office of the Dean, 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540.

There will be a memorial service at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 3, 2019 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 6050 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis.