Clinics with MasterClass Faculty
American Classic is providing one-time clinics for high school varsity bands, choirs, and orchestras in select locations!
Gary L. Mabry
Dr. Gary Mabry is a Professor Emeritus of the UTSA School of Music.
He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1987. He earned a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Hardin-Simmons University in 1978, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1976 from Abilene Christian University.
Gary served on the faculty of the University of Texas at San Antonio from 1991 to 2019. He founded the UTSA Women’s Choir, the UTSA Men’s Glee Club, and the UTSA Jazz Choir. These choirs have sung for numerous civic celebrations and fine arts series in the San Antonio area. On October 27, 1995, they were the featured performance ensemble for the Texas Women’s Legislators’ Conference entitled A Century of Women in the Legislature. They performed in Salzburg, Vienna, and the Czech Republic in the summer of 2006.
He also taught studio voice, conducting, choral literature, diction, and vocal pedagogy. Many of of his voice students achieved success at the South Texas Chapter level and the Texoma Region Chapter level of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. They also performed leading roles in productions of the UTSA Lyric Theatre and in local productions of the Woodlawn Theatre, The Public Theatre of San Antonio, and The Fredericksburg Theatre Company.
Before moving to San Antonio, Gary served on the music faculty of Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana from 1988-1991. He also taught at Abilene Christian University from 1976 to 1982 and at Abilene Christian High School from 1976-1980.
Gary has been active in church music leadership for 50 years. Currently, he serves as Minister of Music at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit in San Antonio. From 2008-2017 he served as Music Director for Travis Park Church. From 2004-2008 he served as Associate Music Director for University United Methodist Church. From 1993-2006 he served as Music Director of Trinity United Methodist Church and as Music Director Alamo Heights Christian Church from 1991-1993. From 1988-1991 he served as Music Director of First Presbyterian Church in Bozeman, Montana and from 1983-1988 as Music Director for Mountainview United Methodist Church in Boulder, Colorado.
Dr. Mabry was Artistic Director and Conductor of the San Antonio Choral Society from 1993-2006. He was Interim Conductor of the San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers for the 1996-97 season. He taught on the faculty of the Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan from 1995-2002.
He served as Chorus Master for the Intermountain Opera Company, Bozeman, Montana, from 1988-1991 and performed comprimario roles in Carmen, Tosca, and Don Pasquale. He served as Chorus Master for the San Antonio Opera from 2005-2015 and served In the same capacity for the San Antonio Festival in their 1992 production of La Perichole. In 1995, he was Music Director and Conductor for the Joyas Liricas production of the zarzuela La Verbena de la Paloma, presented at the Carver Community Center in San Antonio on June 2, 1995, and at the Boerne Community Center on June 23. He served as producer and music director for the National Opera Association premiere of St. Thomas the Carpenter by Bruce Trinkley for the National Opera Association Convention in San Antonio, January 7, 2011.
Dr. Mabry served as clinician and guest conductor for the Shawnee Mission Choral Festival, Overland Park, Kansas in 2017; clinician and guest conductor for the Region XI Treble Choir on November 3-4, 2017; the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Mixed Choir (Addison, Tx) on January 6, 2017; the Region XIX Men’s Choir on November 15 & 16, 2013; the Region XII Middle School Tenor-Bass Choir on November 3, 2012; the Region XI High School Treble Choir on November 11 & 12, 2011; the Region XI SSA Choir on November 3, 2007; the Region XI High School Treble Choir on November 11, 2006; the Region XI Treble Choir on November 6, 2004; the Region Choir on November 15, 2003; the Judson District 6th Grade Honor Choir on February 9, 2002; the Region XII High School Treble Choir on November 16 & 17, 2001; NEISD Spring Choral Festival on April 24, 2000; the Region XI Middle School Boys Choir on October 23, 1999; the Region XII Tenor-Bass Choir on February 10, 1996; the Region XI Tenor-Bass Choir, November 11, 1995; the Region XII Tenor-Bass Choir on November 4, 1995; and the Region XI Choral Clinic on October 10, 1995. He has served as clinician for many choirs visiting San Antonio.
Gary has served as a choral clinician for a number of churches in the San Antonio and South Texas area, including Church of the Hills in Marble Falls, the South Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church for their Winter Conference..
Gary made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut in 2010 with the UTSA Women’s Alumnae Choir. Mid America Productions invited Dr. Mabry to bring the Yellow Rose Singers to perform at the International Festival of the Aegean in Greece in 2012, 2017, and 2022. They also performed on a summer tour to England and Ireland in 2019, with American Classic Festivals and Tours. They will travel to France, Belgium, and the Netherlands with American Classics in the summer of 2024.
Dr. Mabry presented a Professional Development Workshop, “Secondary Music Instruction” for the Harlandale ISD secondary choral instructors on August 21, 2017. At the 2016 TMEA Convention, Gary presented a session entitled Vocal Technique in the Choral Rehearsal. He presented a session at the 2013 TMEA Convention entitled PBS: Phrasing, Blending and Syncing Your Choral Performance and another TMEA session entitled The Serious Choral Singer: What Your Choir Director Wants You to Know…and Do! On February 14, 2007. He was a guest instructor Guest Instructor for Level III Kodaly Ensemble Training for SAISD in the summer of 2008. On November 6, 2006, Gary and members of the UTSA Voice Faculty, performed and composed Bach in the Saddle—The Ballad of Sam ‘n Ella at Baylor University for the Texoma Chapter Convention of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. He presented a session entitled From Choral Singer to Soloist at the Music Teacher’s National Convention in Austin on March 25, 2005. On March 13-14, 2022, he presented a session entitled Music for Women’s Voices at the ACDA Southwest Division Convention. On the Air, an invited article, was published in the Choral Journal in December 1995 (XXXVI, No. 5). Along with Dr. Joey Martin, Dr. Mabry was invited by the Texas Choral Directors Association to serve as a conducting mentor for the first edition of the Student Conductors’ Symposium at the 2003 TCDA Convention.
He served on the Board of the Texas Choral Directors Association as Church Division Vice President from 2012-2014. Gary is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, serving as both Treasurer (1997-1999) and President (1999-2001 of the South Texas Chapter and continues as coordinator of the Aspiring Artist Competition each spring. He has served many years as an adjudicator for the South Texas Chapter and Texoma Region. He has served as an adjudicator for Texas UIL competitions, Directors Choice Music Festivals, American Classic Festivals, Trinity University Aria Competition, Texas State University Aria Competition, and the Artist Foundation of San Antonio. He served as co-organizer of the Texas Collegiate Women’s Choir Festival for many years, hosting the event at UTSA on three different occasions.
Gary served as President of the Opera Guild of San Antonio from 2019 to 2023 and remains on the Board of Directors as Past President. He also serves on the Board of the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio as Artistic Advisor. Dr. Mabry served as a Visiting Committee Member for the Abilene Christian University Department of Music from 2003-2009. He served as Repertoire and Standards Chair for Women’s Choirs for the Texas Choral Directors Association from 1994-2004.
Gary was the 2020 Recipient of the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio Founder’s Award and was a 2019 Recipient of the President’s Distinguished Service Award in Creative Activity from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Dr. Mabry is a choral composer and arranger. He has provided hymn arrangements of Would I Have Answered When You Called, and Lord of All Hopefulness (2013) for the Abilene Christian University Alumni Chorus, both of which were released on a compact disc. He was commissioned by Dr. John Silantien, Conductor of the San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers, to provide an arrangement of Deep in the Heart of Texas for a May 2013 tour to Italy. He composed Song of Remembrance for the UTSA annual Day of Remembrance, sung by members of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Sigma Alpha Iota. He composed the alma mater for the opening of three Northside ISD Elementary Schools: Bob Beard, Scarborough, and Mireles. His treble arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner has been used for many years by the UTSA Women’s Choir, the Interlochen Intermediate Treble Choir, the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio, and Sigma Alpha Iota. He was commissioned by the Nu Eta Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia to compose their theme song Come Brothers Join in Song. A Setting of Psalm 121 and Magnify the Lord were performed and recorded by the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio. His solo setting of Set Me As a Seal has been performed on UTSA recitals and at weddings. A collection of praise songs entitled Rejoice and Sing to the Lord (co-collaborator—Reid Lancaster) was published by Sweet Publishing Company in 1973. A collection entitled Children Rejoice (co-collaborators—Reid Lancaster, Dr. Jack Boyd, and JoAnn Boyd) was published by Sweet in 1976. Jesus is Well and Alive Today was an original composition that was published by Boston Music in 1972 (arr. Dr. Jack Boyd).