Edward Cetto is interested in teaching people music through singing. Whether as a conductor or teacher, whether with individuals, small groups or large ensembles, following the dictum: educating through creating, it is his core belief, Si hilaris reminisci (If it’s fun, they’ll remember) that guides his teaching.
Former Assistant Professor and Director of Choruses at the University of the Pacific, Conservatory of Music (1994-‐‑2015), he annually conducted the choirs, taught Principles of Conducting, Choral Education Methods and Theory. At Pacific, the sight-‐‑singing curriculum, an interactive, Kodály-based musicianship course of Dr. Cetto’s devising, in tandem with the choral experience, was a core part of all students’ Conservatory education. Annually, the Pacific choirs joined the University Symphony Orchestra often under Dr. Cetto’s baton. Dave Brubeck, a Pacific alumna, collaborated with Dr. Cetto on many concerts of Mr. Brubeck’s large choral/orchestra works, especially Pange Lingua Gloriosi at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento (1995) and Upon this Rock in Davies Hall in San Francisco (1996).
Dr. Cetto was Artistic Director of the Stockton Chorale from 1999-‐‑2010, a hundred-‐‑voice community chorus. He prepared many concerts per year, as well as summer touring, where they sang at the Vatican (2002) and the Thomas Kirche in Leipzig (2000). Besides programming the classical masterworks repertoire, they were also annual guests with the Stockton Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Peter Jaffe. During winter holiday concerts, Dr. Cetto would often lead both chorus and orchestra.
A specialist in Kodály methodology (Kodály Musical Training Institute, Certificate 1983), he has presented workshops in the U.S. and, over the last five years, week-‐‑long teacher training courses entitled How to Teach Music Literacy in the Classroom Using the Kodály Method at the Athlone, West Cork, and Tralee, Ireland Education Centers.
As a church musician, he was Director of Music at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Stockton from 1996-‐‑2002.
In 2013, he conducted the annual "ʺSummer Rose Concert"ʺ in Dublin, Ireland featuring chorus and chamber orchestra featuring soloists from Japan and the Metropolitan Opera.
Besides conducting honor choirs in California, Dr. Cetto is also a jazz pianist teaching jazz theory and improvisation to both singers and instrumentalists.
Edward Cetto holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree in Vocal and Instrumental Music Education from the Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford (1981), the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the Boston Conservatory of Music (1992), and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Performance and Pedagogy in Choral Conducting from the University of Iowa (1999).