Dr. Rollo Dilworth

Rollo Dilworth is currently Vice Dean and Professor of Choral Music Education in the Department of Music Education and Therapy at Temple University’s Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts in Philadelphia, PA. He has served on the faculty since 2009. Prior to his position with Boyer College, he taught music education and was the director of choral activities for 13 years at North Park University in Chicago, where he prepared and conducted numerous extended and choral-orchestral works. Before teaching at the college level, Dilworth also taught choral and general music at the middle school level in his hometown of St. Louis, MO. 

In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses in choral music education, Dilworth serves as Conductor for the Temple University Singing Owls Campus/Community Chorus, as Music/Artistic Director for Singing City Choir, and as Conductor for the School District of Philadelphia High School All-City Chorus. 

Over 200 of Dilworth’s choral compositions and arrangements have been published, and many are part of the Henry Leck Creating Artistry Choral Series with the Hal Leonard Corporation. In 2015 Dilworth launched his own choral series with Hal Leonard, focusing on secondary and tertiary level repertoire representing composers and arrangers from diverse backgrounds.  He is also an established author and contributor for the Essential Elements for Choir and the Experiencing Choral Music textbook series. He has authored 3 books of choral warm up exercises intended for elementary and secondary choral ensembles, entitled Choir Builders: Fundamental Vocal Techniques for General and Classroom Use (2006); Choir Builders for Growing Voices (2009); Choir Builders for Growing Voices 2 (2014); and Music of Our Roots (2016).  Dilworth is an active clinician and frequent guest conductor of all-state, honors, festival, community, church and professional choirs.  He has researched, lectured, and presented extensively on various topics including African American choral music, composing/arranging for choirs, social justice, social emotional learning, cultural appropriation, urban music education, community engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Much of Dilworth’s creative output as a composer and arranger focuses on themes of social justice and social change. His compositions Freedom’s Plow (commissioned by the St. Louis Symphony and IN UNISON Chorus) and Credo (commissioned by the Mendelssohn Club Chorus of Philadelphia) are examples of his vision to elevate the words of Langston Hughes and W.E.B. DuBois, respectively.  Most recently, a consortium of 20 universities and arts organizations commissioned Dilworth to set Claudia Rankine’s social justice poem Weather to music for chorus, narrator, and wind ensemble.  Recent engagements include serving as guest conductor for the Los Angeles Master Chorale, SUNY Potsdam Chorus and Wind Symphony, Tallahassee Community Chorus, and the Vancouver Chamber Choir. 

Dilworth serves on the national boards of Chorus America and the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO); he is an active life member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). He also holds memberships with several other organizations, including the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM) and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).