Lawrence Doebler

Professor Emeritus, Music Performance
Specialty: Professor -Former Director of Choral Activities

Lawrence Doebler retired from Ithaca College in May 2013.

Read more on his retirement.

Prior to his retirement, he was the director of choral activities at the Ithaca College School of Music, a position now held by Janet Galván, Professor of Music at Ithaca College.

During his 35 years at IC, he has led the Ithaca College Choir on tour in the United States and Ireland, founded the Ithaca College Choral Composition Contest and Festival (1979) generating 33 commissioned works published by Theodore Presser and Roger Dean Publishing, appeared at major MENC and ACDA conventions with the choir, and conducted the Choral Union and Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and other major venues. Orff’s Carmina Burana and Verdi’s Requiem were the most recent works he conducted at Lincoln Center.

On April 19th, 2013 professor Doebler conducted the Ithaca College Choir and Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center performing Poulenc’s Gloria with Jessica Julin, alumna soprano soloist. The Choir and a Faculty/Student Orchestra under Professor Doebler’s direction performed Bach’s B Minor Mass in The Strathmore Music Center in Bethesda MD, Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia and at the School of Music in 2010.

He is an active guest conductor and clinician offering workshops in movement, editing Renaissance music, and conducting. Doebler’s early training in keyboard, strings, voice, and brass led to degrees in conducting from Oberlin Conservatory and Washington University in St. Louis. He began his professional career in 1969 at Smith College. From 1971 through 1978 he taught and conducted at the University of Wisconsin– Madison. He has received awards for research and teaching excellence from the University of Wisconsin and Ithaca College, and he helped establish the master of music degree in conducting at Ithaca College. The Lorenz Company in the Roger Dean catalogue publishes his editions of Renaissance music. In addition to his academic appointments, he has served as music director of the Cayuga Vocal Ensemble and has been the director of music at churches in Cleveland, St. Louis, Madison, and Ithaca.

In December 2012 the Choir performed at the Winter NYSSMA Conference in Rochester at the invitation of president Marc Greene.

Marc Greene presented Lawrence Doebler with the ‘Distinguished Service to Music Education Award’ for 2012 “in Recognition Of His Dedication To His Students, Colleagues, And Community For Many Years Of Dedicated Service To The Children Of New York State And The Cause Of Music Education”.