Kevin Cummines
A native of Southern New Jersey, Kevin Cummines holds his Bachelors degrees in Music Composition, Vocal Performance, and Ethnomusicology from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. During that time he worked with such notables as Giorgio Tozzi and Dr. Roger Havranek, renowned music educator and choral composer Dr. Mary Goetze, and composers Sven-David Sanstrom, Dr. Don Freund, and Dr. Claude Baker. He holds his Masters of Liberal Sciences from Rutgers University, where he was awarded “Thesis with Distinction” for his research on sexual self-destruction among gay men. He completed his Masters of Fine Arts at New York University’s Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, culminating in the new musical "Broken," written with collaborator Tony Asaro (www.unrelentingmonkey.com).
As a performer, Kevin toured the eastern seaboard with the Indiana University Singing Hoosiers under the direction of Dr. Michael Schwartzkopf, and was honored to perform as a singer and Varsity Dancer with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the direction of Erich Kunzel. Kevin has directed, music directed and performed in a number of operas and musicals both in Indiana and in several Philadelphia regional theatres. His production and post-production work includes live television credits as well as sound technology and recording post-production in the Philadelphia region.
As an educator, Kevin taught Electronic Music and World Music studies for the Department of Fine Arts, Rutgers University-Camden. He currently serves as Artistic Director of The Roy Irving Theatre at Saint Peter's College, Jersey City. He also serves the Saint Peter's as Performing Arts Coordinator for Student Activities, Director of the McMullen Chorale, and a lecturer for the Department of Fine Arts at SPC. Kevin is responsible for producing between 10 and 15 productions at the college each ranging, ranging in scope from full theatrical presentations, to orchestra and choral concerts, as well as other events and festivals. Course offerings include Choir, Vocal and Music direction for theater, Western Music History survey, World Music/Anthropology of Music survey, Rock History, and specialized tutorials for individual student needs.
As a composer, he has pressed himself to be as diverse in musical styles as possible. Significant original works include Requiem for the Truth, a four-movement work for chamber orchestra and amplified tenor, premiered in April of 2001 in Bloomington, Indiana. Requiem… dealt with issues of sexuality, rape, and Christianity – all issues near and dear to his heart. His rock album was recorded in the fall of 2001, with lyrics by the late Dannon Crews, and recorded at the Soundgun Studios in Philadelphia. With Tina Lear and Tony Asaro he developed Storyearth Chronicles, Case #241, an other-worldly one-act comedy about fairy tale characters fighting for their way against a vicious Continuity regime. The culmination of his MFA work was written with Tony Asaro: "Broken" - a full-length musical based on the final days of Samuel Barber’s life and his relationship with his long-time companion Gian Carlo Menotti. This work’s first reading was held in April, 2007, at the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.
Recent premiers and credits
Theatre:
Stage-Struck Yankee: No Song, No Supper (America-in-Play, TPAC);
“Weather Man” Rainsong (GMTWP);
Stealing Glances (America-in-Play, TPAC);
The Diary of Anne Frankenstein (Theatre A L’Orange, 13th St. Rep),
Crossing Over: a medicine show entertainment (America-in-Play)
Orchestral:
“Symphony No. 1: The Peacock” (Hudson Symphony Orchestra, Roy Irving Theatre);
“Singled”
(Hudson Symphony Orchestra, Roy Irving Theatre),
“Three Short Song-like Concerti for Strings and Piano” (HSO, RIT)
Kevin has enjoyed a number of awards and honors, including opportunities to travel the South Pacific and Europe as a performer and cultural diplomat. At Rutgers - Camden he earned “Thesis with Distinction” for his research on sexual self-destruction among young gay men. Along with several collaborators he was honored with the New York University President’s Service Award for Volunteerism and Community Service Programming in 2006, for a program developed with Karen Henderson of the NYU GMTWP, bringing music and story creation to children in the Bronx. Kevin is also the 2006 ASCAP Foundation’s Max Dreyfus Award recipient, an award given “in honor of his dedication and talent as a musical theatre composer.”
Kevin currently lives in Jersey City, where he continues his work as an educator, writer/collaborator, performer, accompanist, composer, and lover of all things artistic, dissonant, harmonious, collaborative, and kind.