Mark

Lucas

Associate Professor of Music
Director of Choral Activities & the Bethany Oratorio Society
Elmer F. Pierson Distinguished Professor

Mark Lucas is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Choral Activities at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, where he is also director of the Bethany Oratorio Society and Co-Chair of the Department of Music. At Bethany, Lucas teaches conducting, music education, and voice lessons. He is the conductor of the Bethany College Choir, the Bethany College Chamber Ensemble, and the Senior Choir Director at Messiah Lutheran Church in Lindsborg.

Before his appointment at Bethany College, Lucas was a tenured Associate Professor of Choral Music Education and the Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Oklahoma, where he conducted the University Singers, taught choral conducting and courses in choral methods and supervised student teachers.

Lucas received a degree in Music Education from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, and an M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Oklahoma. He received his Ph.D. in Choral Music Education from the University of Oklahoma. His dissertation, Adolescent Males' Motivations to Enroll or Not Enroll in Choir, studies what factors influence young men in grades 7 and 8 to participate in choir. His recent work was in the "Choral Journal" and "Applications of Research in Music Education." He also serves on the "Music Educators Journal" advisory committee.

Lucas has sung professionally as a tenor with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and remains active in teaching studio voice. As a conductor, Mark's past work ranges from preparing major works, such as Brahms' "Requiem" and Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas," to extensive work with middle and high school choirs. He employs an integrated approach to choral methods, using authentic teaching experiences as a significant part of coursework.

Lucas is a frequent clinician and adjudicator for choral groups of all ages. He founded the Young Men's Vocal Workshop at the University of Oklahoma, which has featured more than 1,000 young men in concert.

Previously, Prof. Lucas served four years as Director of Choral Activities at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas, and taught vocal music to students in grades 6-12 in Marion, Kansas. Mark enjoys spending time with his wife, Jeanne, and their two boys, Matt and Jake.