Dr. Tim McMillin has led the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble in the position of Artistic Director and Conductor since the fall of 2008. In addition to maintaining its innovative and engaging choral season, DMVAE has collaborated with major artistic partners in Central Iowa including the Des Moines Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, Des Moines Metro Opera, the Des Moines Choral Festival, Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus, Ballet Des Moines, Des Moines Community Orchestra, and numerous university and high school choirs under his leadership.
Dr. McMillin also co-founded and is co-director for Simpson College’s Master of Music (M.M.) in Choral Conducting degree, offered online with an intensive three-summer residency intended for practicing teachers. From 2004-2019, Dr. McMillin was Director of Choral Studies at Simpson College, where he worked with undergraduate musicians and served two terms as Chair of the Department of Music. Before his appointment at Simpson College, Dr. McMillin directed choirs in Minnesota where he led award-winning high school programs.
Dr. McMillin is often called upon as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout Iowa and the Midwest. He has prepared choruses for the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Des Moines, Orchestra Iowa, and the chorus for the Des Moines performances of the national touring company’s Star Wars: In Concert. He was also involved as a performer with the Jonathan Griffith Singers during an international tour through Turkey and sang in Winchester, England, under the direction of Paul Spicer.
Over the years, McMillin was involved with numerous high school musical theater programs and community theater organizations. Dr. McMillin served as Producer and Company Manager for the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, a professional festival choir. He performed with, served as auxiliary chorus master, and was a member of the stage management staff with the Des Moines Metro Opera, one of America’s major opera festivals, where he was also Director of Advancement for six seasons. He currently is Vice President of Development with Des Moines Performing Arts, one of Iowa’s premier non-profit arts organizations that emphasizes performing arts education.
Dr. McMillin earned the DMA in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University in East Lansing, and degrees in music education from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.
