Fanfare Magazine wrote, "Rommereim has a thirsty mind, and his imagination shines clearly through his music," and The New York Times praised the “richly expressive” character of his vocal writing. His choral music has been performed by distinguished ensembles across the USA, as well as in Asia and Europe -- notably in a recent performance by the National Chorus of Korea in Seoul's resplendent Lotte Concert Hall.
John Rommereim is a musician who has pursued a varied career as a composer, conductor, keyboardist, and professor. He has written works for choir, solo voice, orchestra, string quartet, saxophone quartet, flute ensemble, guitar, organ, piano, and electronic media, as well as a chamber opera, and music for theatre and film. His music appears on two recent albums on the Navona record label: Cantori New York's, Found Again, and a solo album of chamber music and songs, titled Into the Still Hollow. His music is published by Walton Music, Oxford University Press, E.C. Schirmer, earthsongs, Alry Publications, MusicSpoke, and Roger Dean Publishing.
As a conductor, he has led choirs on concert tours throughout the USA, and in Canada, Estonia, Finland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. With the Grinnell Singers, he has recorded Rachmaninov’s complete All-Night Vigil, Jonathan Dove’s The Passing of the Year, and Jan Dismas Zelenka's Missa Omnium Sanctorum (in collaboration with the Lyra Baroque Orchestra). As a harpsichordist, his playing can be heard on a Centaur album of Joseph Bodin de Boismortier's Op. 90 sonatas for flute and obligato harpsichord. His translation of Pavel Chesnokov’s seminal treatise, The Choir and How to Direct It is published by Musica Russica.
John Rommereim is Blanche Johnson Professor of Music at Grinnell College, where he conducts the Grinnell Singers and the Grinnell Oratorio Society, and teaches composition.
