About Dr. MacLeod
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Dr. Scott MacLeod (Voice/Lyric Theatre) maintains a versatile career as a singer, educator, conductor, and stage director. His work spans opera, musical theatre, art song, oratorio, pops, and contemporary vocal styles. As an educator, he is committed to the holistic development of singing artists, encouraging students to explore diverse repertoires and approaches to discover their individual voices and cultivate sustainable, personalized careers.
Internationally, Dr. MacLeod leads student performances through the Promising Artists program of the Centro Cultural Costarricense-Norteamericano in Costa Rica, supported by the U.S. Embassy. He has served as a visiting professor at Shaoguan University and the Xi’an Conservatory of Music in China, and received an honorary faculty appointment at Shaoguan for his staging and music direction of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo—the university’s first full opera production. He has also directed study abroad programs in the United Kingdom, Austria, Czechia, and Germany.
Notable roles include Frederik in A Little Night Music, Father in Ragtime, Taddeo in L’italiana in Algeri, Hercules in Patrick Morganelli’s Hercules vs. Vampires, Pangle in Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain, Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Father in Hansel and Gretel. He has also appeared in several world premieres, including Jiří Kadeřábek’s Kafka’s Women and Scott Wheeler’s The Sorrows of Frederick, both with the Center for Contemporary Opera.
He has performed regularly with the North Carolina Symphony in programs such as The Wound Dresser (John Adams), The Polar Express (Rob Kapilow), A Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration, and multiple seasons of the annual Independence Day Concert Tour.
International credits include three tours of Messiah with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica; a recital of works by J. Mark Scearce at Prague’s Municipal House; and Musique pour l’Océan, a cultural diplomacy project presented in Marseille and Monaco under the sponsorship of the U.S. State Department, culminating in a performance for Prince Albert II. The program was also featured at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 2023.
Before joining the faculty at UIUC, Dr. MacLeod was Professor of Music at High Point University, where he received the 2021 Innovation and Creativity in Teaching Award. From 2013 to 2024, he was Chorus Master for North Carolina Opera, preparing 29 productions, including the ensemble’s 2024 performance with Andrea Bocelli.
Dr. MacLeod holds degrees from Northwestern University (B.M., Voice Performance, Musical Theatre Certificate), Florida State University (M.M., Opera Production), and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (D.M.A., Voice; Choral Conducting cognate).