About

Dr. Bier has been director of the Bryn Athyn College Chorale since he joined the faculty in 2014, has taught courses in music history, private voice, and music theory, and served as music director for the Bryn Athyn College Theater production of Godspell (2018).  He also serves as the Director of Music for the Bryn Athyn Church where he started a Chorister program and conducts the Cathedral Choir and Festival Chorus, and the Music Director of the Reading Choral Society.

In addition to the above positions, Dr. Bier stays active as a performing singer, most regularly with his own ensemble Les Canards Chantants.  In recent years he has sung roles in festival performances of Handel’s Semele (American Bach Soloists Academy), Handel’s Orlando (Baroque Festival of Corona del Mar), Purcell’s King Arthur (Amherst Early Music Festival) and Cesti’s L’Orontea (Haymarket Summer Opera Course), performed as a soloist for Choral Arts Philadelphia and Big Apple Baroque, and sung with The Crossing, The Thirteen, and Variant 6.  During his studies in England, Dr. Bier sang with numerous ensembles including I Fagiolini and the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists, and joined Stile Antico on their acclaimed recording The Phoenix Rising.  He conducted the University of York’s chamber choir The 24 during two extensive tours of China and a cultural exchange with the University of Niš and a broadcast service on BBC Radio from York Minster.

Education

• PhD, Musicology, University of York
• MA, Vocal Performance, University of York
• BA, Music History/Theory, Oberlin College

Accomplishments

• Conducting Scholarship, Huddersfield Choral Society
• Lyons Celebration Award, University of York
• Holbeck/Mills Studentship, University of York
• Joan Haward Legacy Award, Dartington International Summer School
• Roslyn Lyons Masters Scholarship, University of York

Areas of Expertise/Interest

• Early music
• Singing
• Performance practice
• Editing
• Music history
• Ensemble
• Conducting
• Choral technique