John Guarente

John Guarente is Professor of Choral Ensembles and Music Theory at SPSCC. He leads the SPSCC Choirs and teaches courses in music theory, popular music, and music appreciation.

Dr. Guarente previously served on the faculty at Lakeland University in Wisconsin and the College of Central Florida. He has held teaching and conducting positions with schools and organizations including the University of Miami, Miami Choral Academy, Marion Civic Chorale, the Civic Chorale of Greater Miami, and Highland Park Community Chorus.

John is the founding artistic director of Vox Olympia, South Puget Sound's premier chamber choir. An active composer and arranger, John has fulfilled commissions for colleges and universities including Florida International University and Hawai'i Pacific University. In 2020, he wrote the music and lyrics for SPSCC's Alma Mater, "The Waves of South Puget Sound." John has prepared and conducted choirs for groundbreaking recording artists such as Passion Pit and Juanes. In working with adult and collegiate choirs, Dr. Guarente has conducted numerous major works including Handel's Judas Maccabaeus, Saint-Saëns's Oratorio de Noël, Mozart's "Coronation" Mass, Faure's Requiem, and Vivaldi's Gloria. As a baritone soloist, his singing engagements have included such choral-orchestral literature as Orff's Carmina Burana, Handel's Messiah, Dvorak's Te Deum, and Szymanowski's Stabat Mater.

John received his doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Miami, and holds a master of music in choral conducting and a bachelor of arts degree in music from Rutgers University. He is an inductee of Pi Kappa Lambda: The National Music Honor Society, and is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, the College Music Society, and the National Association for Music Education.