Gateway Men's Chorus 

Jeffrey Richard Carter, a native of the Kansas City, Missouri area, is Artistic Director of the Gateway Men's Chorus of Saint Louis. He is also Chair of the Department of Music at Webster University.


He is a versatile conductor and teacher whose performance experience and training ranges through nearly 1000 years of western musical tradition; he has gained success with university ensembles, amateur choral groups, show choirs, volunteer church choirs, and festival choruses alike. His performing and educational endeavors have taken him to the continents of Asia, South America, and Europe, in addition to the continental United States.

As a choral conductor, Carter led Ball State University Singers from 2000 until 2008. Ball State University Singers toured throughout the People's Republic of China in May 2005, garnering rave reviews and standing-room-only audiences at several venues in Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Deyang, and Shanghai. He led the Missouri All-State Show Choir in July 2006, the Alabama All-State Show Choir in January 2007, and the Alabama All-State Men's Choir in March 2008.

Carter's previous choral directorships include the Jacomo Chorale, a community chorus based in Blue Springs, Missouri. During his decade as Musical Director and Conductor, he led that group to unprecedented successes in audience growth and annual fund contributions. Carter rejuvenated the University of Kansas Men's Glee Club, and brought renewed vigor to the flagship Chamber Choir at Ball State University. Carter has served as choirmaster and organist for several Episcopal churches as well, including parishes in Muncie, Indiana; Anderson, Indiana; and Blue Springs, Missouri, among other professional church appointments. He has led all-district festival choirs in Indiana, Missouri, and Alaska. Choirs under his direction have appeared in performance in California, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Washington, D.C. His choirs have appeared on three different state and divisional choral conventions.

In 2005-2006 Dr. Carter assumed the national chairmanship of the Youth and Student Activities Repertoire and Standards Committee for the American Choral Directors Association. In May 2006, with a colleague he led sixteen Ball State students on a three-week East Asia Studies Program immersion experience to China. He also served at Shanghai Normal University in November 2005 as visiting professor.

Under Dr. Carter's guidance, the Ball State University ACDA chapter was named the 2005 Collegiate Chapter of the Year by the national ACDA organization. Previous activities while at Ball State include adjudication and master class teaching at the 21 Century International Choral Festival in Malaysia (2003), service as overall program chair of the Central Division ACDA convention (2004), leadership of a week-long composer residency program at Ball State University featuring American composer Gwyneth Walker (2003), and leadership of a conductor residency featuring Simon Carrington at Ball State (2004). In April 2005, Dr. Carter was named Ball State University's Outstanding Organization Advisor for the academic year, in recognition of his work with the student ACDA Chapter.

Prior to the year 2000, Carter's previous academic appointments include Kentucky Wesleyan College, the University of Kansas, Graceland University in Iowa, the University of Central Missouri, the Metropolitan Community Colleges in Kansas City, and Music/Arts Institute, a community school for the arts in Independence, Missouri. In addition to university teaching duties, Dr. Carter maintains an active schedule of clinics, adjudications, and workshops throughout the country, and teaches private voice lessons through his own studio.

A recipient of the Opus Award from the Missouri Choral Directors Association for his composition Phos Hilaron, Dr. Carter remains an active composer. In addition to many other organizations, he is a member of the Herbert Howells Society and the Edward Elgar Society.

He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Kansas, and the Master of Arts degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Central Missouri. His professional debut in 1989 was as a singer with the Kansas City Lyric Opera; as a conductor; his debut in 1990 was with the Jacomo Chorale. Dr. Carter participated in a month-long exchange program to Brazil in 2001, and he frequently conducts student tours to various countries in Europe. He is listed in the 2005 edition of Who's Who in Education, the 2006 Who's Who in America, the 2007 Who's Who in the World, and the 2009 Who's Who in America. Dr. Carter is especially proud that his students are now in prominent positions in such various places as the male ensemble Chanticleer, on Broadway and in national tours, and on various college and university faculties.