Donald Brinegar

Donald Brinegar, Ph.D. is a music educator and author. Professor Emeritus of Music at Pasadena City College, Brinegar directed the Choral Studies program at PCC for 36 years. Brinegar also conducts the Donald Brinegar Singers, a community choral ensemble in Pasadena, California, Director of Choruses for the Pasadena Symphony and POPS, and Teaching Artist of Voice at the University of Redlands. During the summers he is an adjunct professor of conducting and voice in the Cal State Los Angeles Master’s program in Choral conducting. Brinegar has published five books. Among the six books are: APROARTE, Pitch Perfect: A Theory and Practice of Choral Intonation, Conducting Primer: Seven Principles of Choral Conducting, Conducting Primer in Practice. All the books have been hailed by leaders in the Choral Field as singular contributions to the field of Choral Music. In 2017 he was recognized by the Pasadena Symphony as Artist of the year and in 2020 Brinegar was recognized by the ACDA for his contributions to choral music as conference honoree.

Brinegar has an extensive background as a performer both as a soloist and a conductor having performed throughout the United States, Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Canada. Brinegar has performed as a featured soloist with Robert Shaw, Helmuth Rilling, Roger Wagner, Gerard Swartz, Murray Sidlin, Howard Swan, Charles Hirt, Rod Eichenberger, William Hall, Marvin Hamlisch, Michael Feinstein, and with numerous music festivals, orchestras and opera associations. He has collaborated artistically with Henry Mancini, Barry Manilow, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, John Delancie, and the Chieftains. His choirs have given five performances for the American Choral Directors Association Conferences, California Music Educators (MENC), Choral Conductors Guild, and have twice performed in Carnegie Hall, the Los Angeles Music Center, and the Hollywood Bowl.

Don holds a BM in music education, a MM in Music Education, and a MM Choral Music from the University of Southern California where in 1985 he was named the Outstanding Graduate Student in the School of Music. Brinegar was conferred a Ph.D. In Music from the European-American University in France in 2025. He was named the Outstanding Teacher for Claremont Unified Schools in 1979 and has been twice nominated as the Outstanding Teacher at Pasadena City College. In the fall of 2016, Brinegar was recognized by the Pasadena Symphony as their Artist of the Year. He has served as President and Treasurer for the Southern California Vocal Association (Awarded Life Member for Outstanding Service, 1981), Treasurer for the Western Division of the American Choral Directors Association, President of the Music Association of California Community Colleges, and Past-President of the Pasadena Sunrise Rotary Club.

• Ph.D. in Music, European-American University in France
• M.M. in Music Education, University of Southern California
• M.M. in Choral Music, University of Southern California
• B.M. in Music Education, University of Southern California

• Outstanding Ensemble Member - University of Southeren California Chamber Singers, 1973

• Teacher of the Year, Claremont Unified Schools, Claremont High School, 1979

• Outstanding Graduate of the School of Music, University of Southeren California MM, 1985

• Outstanding Graduate Choral Music, University of Southeren California 1985

• Outstanding Ensemble Member, University of Southeren California Chamber Singers 1985

• Outstanding Teacher of the Year, Pasadena City College Nominated 1989, 2002, and 2014.

• Professor Emeritus, Pasadena City College, 2015

• Artist of the Year, Pasadena Symphony, 2016

• Convention Honoree for ACDA Western Division, 2020 (for exceptional service to the field of Choral Music in the United States)

Performance Video

• The premiere performance of "Nocturnes" (Lauridsen) by the Donald Brinegar Singers (Donald Brinegar, conductor, with composer Morten Lauridsen at the piano) during the 2005 ACDA National Conference in Los Angeles, California. This three-movement work was the 2005 Raymond W. Brock Memorial Choral Commission.