Jon Hurty is Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Before coming to Rock Island he was Director of Choral Activities at Concordia University in Irvine, California. Dr. Hurty has been involved in choral music throughout his life and began conducting his first church choir while in high school. His interest in choral music led him to Lindsborg, Kansas where he completed his undergraduate degree in vocal performance at Bethany College under Elmer Copley. His study at Lindsborg provided an early link to the Augustana tradition as Copley had graduated from Augustana and had sung under the Augustana Choir's first conductor, Henry Veld. Hurty completed his Master's degree in choral conducting from California State University, Northridge. At Northridge he studied with John Alexander and was assistant conductor of the Northridge Singers and Chamber Singers. He earned his Doctorate in Choral Conducting and Literature from the University of Illinois where he studied under Don Moses, Chester Alwes and Ann Howard Jones. His dissertation, A Study and Critical Edition of Melchior Franck's Rosetulum Musicum (1628) received honorable mention for the coveted Julius Herford Prize for Distinguished Doctoral Research in Choral Music. Active as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States, he has served in this capacity for the American Choral Directors Association, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, and the Choral Conductors Guild as well as many churches and high schools.