Dr. Michael Hanawalt is the Director of Graduate Choral Studies at Florida State University, where he conducts the Chamber Choir, teaches graduate courses in conducting and choral literature, and serves as Artistic Director of The Tallahassee Community Chorus. Previous appointments include Director of Choral Activities at Wichita State University, Chorus Director at the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and Visiting Instructor of Music at St. Olaf College.
Dr. Hanawalt is a founding member of the professional male vocal ensemble Cantus, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During his 11-year tenure with the organization, he recorded 12 CDs, participated in 200 educational outreach events, and performed in or oversaw the booking of more than 500 concerts, including collaborations with the King’s Singers, the Boston Pops, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. He also as Executive Director for six years, overseeing Cantus’ growth through organizational management, fundraising, and board development.
Active as a conductor and tenor soloist, Dr. Hanawalt has conducted choirs and honor choirs in and from Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and internationally in the Czech Republic, and Portugal. His choirs have appeared at conventions of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) and the American Choral Directors Association’s (ACDA) Southern Region. Past solo engagements include the Evangelist in J.S. Bach’s Matthaus-Passion with Bethany College Messiah Festival of the Arts, as well as tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, and in Mozart’s Requiem with the Tarleton State University choirs and orchestra at Westfield State University in Massachusetts.
Dr. Hanawalt’s choral arrangements are published by Boosey & Hawkes, Colla Voce, the Niel. A Kjos Music Company, and Alfred Music. His setting of “Amazing Grace” has been performed at two national conventions of the ACDA, and his arrangement of “Loch Lomond” is featured on the Cantus recording, Let Your Voice be Heard.
Dr. Hanawalt holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance from St. Olaf College, a M.M. in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Choral Music Education from Florida State University. He is the recipient of a 2024 award for Outstanding Graduate Teaching from Florida State University, and the 2016 Mickey and Pete Armstrong Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Wichita State University College of Fine Arts.