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Leading the Chorus: Dr. Scott Wyatt
LEADING THE CHORUS Dr. Scott Wyatt named new choral director of Butler Philharmonic
BY MANDY GAMBRELL
r. Scott Wyatt has been a part of the local symphony for more than a decade, and now he’s leading the chorus.
He has recently been named choral director of the Butler Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus alongside newly named orchestra director Dr. Scott Woodard. His participation with the Butler Phil, previously called the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, began in the early 2000s after he met the symphony’s former maestro Paul Stanbery.
“I was the choral director of the Florida College Chorus and we were touring through the Midwest and stopped in Cincinnati to give a concert. It just so happened that Paul had a niece performing in my choir. I had composed an A cappella arrangement of Puccini’s ‘Nessun Dorma’ from the opera ‘Turandot.’ The chorus was backing me up on beautiful ‘oohs’ and aahs’ while I sang the famous aria. Paul came up to me afterward and asked if I would consider coming and singing with him and his orchestra at that time,” Wyatt said.
In 2008, he was granted a full scholarship and teaching assistantship at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He joined up with the Butler Phil at that time.
When Stanbery fell ill last year and had to step away from conducting the BPO Chorus’ annual Open Door Pantry Choral Concert, he asked Wyatt to step in — with one day’s notice.
“It went extremely well. Paul decided it was time to retire and he and the BPO board of directors asked me if I would step in as interim director for a time, to which I agreed. After several rehearsals together and considering some other choral directors in the area, they asked me if I would be willing to be their new conductor,” he said.
His history with music dates back to the 7th grade when taking a Spanish class elective wasn’t going
well. His parents told him to take choir instead.
“A boy soprano at the time, my choral teacher was enthralled with the talent God had blessed me with and began entering me in competitions right away. From that point forward, music was my life.”
Wyatt has a serious music schooling background. He was a voice major as an undergrad, and by then he was a tenor, at Illinois Wesleyan University. He has a Master’s degree from Arizona State in vocal pedagogy and a Doctorate in vocal arts from the CollegeConservatory of Music at UC.
“Between my master’s and doctorate, I had a fulltime professional international opera and symphony soloist career. I still perform the occasional opera gig,” Wyatt said.
COVID-19 has certainly put a damper on the Butler Phil as far as canceling its performances and rehearsals, but Wyatt has big hopes for the group’s future.
“I would love for the Butler Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus to rival that of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the May Festival Chorus. Before COVID-19 struck, both the orchestra and the chorus were thriving numerically. The choir, just before we had to shut down, had 85 members and was growing every week! They were sounding fabulous and we were on course to give a stellar Spring concert,” he said.
The Butler Phil has plans to perform a scaleddown Christmas concert and caroling event at the Liberty Center in December. About 35 members will participate, he said.
“I see great things in this choir’s future. We are returning to Carnegie Hall in the summer of 2022 to sing Paul Stanbery’s world premiere ‘The Golden Door’ and we are planning a European concert tour in 2023. Can’t wait!”
The Butler Philharmonic includes an orchestra, chorus and youth orchestra and has been around since 1951. Learn more about it at www.butlerphil.org.
– Dr. Scott Wyatt
Director, Butler Philharmonic
