Eric Z. Rubinstein is a singer, conductor, and performing arts educator hailing from New York. His work includes vocal and choral music, music education, and integrated arts for performers of all ages. 

 

Dr. Eric Rubinstein is Associate Director of the School of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Nazareth University, where he is the recipient of a 2024 Distinction in Teaching Award. His responsibilities include directing the Chamber Singers, teaching coursework in conducting and music education, and overseeing the Choral Area. Prior to his appointment at Nazareth, Dr. Rubinstein served as Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College (CUNY).

 

Ensembles under Dr. Rubinstein’s direction have presented performances in significant venues in the United States, England, and Poland, through recordings on the 1809 Studios label, and with distinction by The American Prize. He is a leader in synthesizing classical with vernacular styles, and has earned praise for his innovative collaborations, including partnerships with composer/arranger, Garrett Breeze, and Nazareth's Department of Theatre and Dance. Dr. Rubinstein has also led ensembles to invited performances at major conferences, including the American Choral Directors’ Association Eastern Region, the National Association for Music Education Eastern Region, the New York State School Music Association, and NY-ACDA.

 

Dr. Rubinstein’s scholarship lies in the study of progressive practices in choral music and conducting pedagogy, including popular and commercial styles, approaches to conducting inspired by dance forms, and classroom cultures that support underrepresented communities. His work has appeared in such publications as Music Educators’ Journal, The Choral Scholar, SmartMusic, and Anacrusis (Choral Canada), as well as through regional, national, and international conventions of NAfME, ACDA, College Music Society, the European Association for Music in Schools (EAS), and the International Society for Music Education (ISME).

 

Prior to doctoral studies, Dr. Rubinstein amassed a decade of high school teaching in Monticello and Westhampton Beach, NY, where he concurrently served on the music education faculty at CUNY Brooklyn College. Dr. Rubinstein was also on the artistic faculty at the New York State Summer School of the Arts, and remains active as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for various choral festivals and conferences.

 

Additionally, Dr. Rubinstein enjoys a career as a professional solo and ensemble tenor. Favorite roles include Man 1 in Songs for a New World, Henrik Eggerman in A Little Night Music, and the title “role” in Craig Hella Johnsons’s passion-oratorio, Considering Matthew Shepard. He has also appeared with Red Shift Choir, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, eVoco Voice Collective, and The New Musicals Project, and has worked with such notable artists as Craig Hella Johnson, Victoria Clark, and Kristin Chenoweth.

 

With an extensive background in dance, Eric has taught and choreographed for high school, collegiate, and New York City stages, including Fredonia State University, Stagedoor Manor, Cortland City Ballet, and the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre. His "innovative choreography" (Buffalo ArtVoice) has been seen in musical theatre, opera, and concert dance productions across New York.

 

Dr. Rubinstein is a member of College Music Society, NAfME, and ACDA, where he also serves as the NY-ACDA Repertoire & Resources co-chair for LGBTQIA+ Choral Music. He holds a D.M.A. in Choral Conducting with a minor in Music Education from Louisiana State University, a M.M. in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University, and a B.Mus. in Music Education with a minor in Dance from the State University of New York at Fredonia.