Bio
Diane Whitacre is a composer, arranger and educator from Huntington, Indiana.
Education
She received her BME in Instrumental Music Education with Distinction from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied composition with Bernard Heiden and Thomas Beversdorf, and Jazz Arranging with Dominic Spera. She is published by TRN Music Publisher, Inc. and her flute music is published by Blocki Flute Method, LLC.
Diane's Work
Fort Wayne Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota
Diane was commissioned by the Fort Wayne Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota in celebration of their 50th Anniversary. The new choral work was premiered May 7, 2022 by the Ft. Wayne Children's Choir’s Youth Chorale.
Premieres of Diane’s instrumental music
Premieres of Diane’s instrumental music include Jan, 2017, A Child's Storybook, by the SEDBA North Carolina 9/10 Band under the direction of Eugene Cottrell, Casey At The Bat for Orchestra and Narrator was premiered by the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, Prof. Scott Humphries, conductor, on April 24, 2016 at the Honeywell Center, Wabash, Indiana. The Dayton Dream was premiered at the 2015 NFA Convention in Washington, D.C. by students of Kathy Blocki. Her Grade 4 band piece, Rumor Mill made the North Carolina State MPA Competition List.
Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Diane was commissioned to write a choral setting of Psalm 98 for the 75th Anniversary of the Genevans. The choir performed the piece on their 2013 Tour of the Eastern U.S and it became their capstone piece for their 2014 tour of the Philippines, as well as their 2015 Midwest Tour, was sung on their 2016 Christmas concert, and was recorded on their 2 latest CDs. This led to a second commission for their 80th Anniversary piece, Psalm 95, which was premiered in March, 2018. The Genevans will sing Psalm 95 on their May 2022 Tour in Israel and Ireland.
A Veteran Arranger
Diane has been writing for show choirs since 2007, starting with the Huntington North Varsity Singers and expanding to write for choirs throughout Indiana and Iowa.
More About Diane
An Oboe/English Horn player, she studied with Prof. Jerry Sirucek at IU and Margot Golding (Ft. Wayne Philharmonic) while in high school, and first started oboe lessons with Thom Snider. Diane currently plays in the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, the Ft. Wayne Area Community Band and the Grace College Wind Ensemble.
She served as interim band and orchestra director at Bishop Dwenger High School for Spring 2016 term and taught instrumental music for the Ft. Wayne Lutheran Schools from 2016-2022. She currently is a lesson instructor at the St. Micheal's Academy of the Arts in Ft. Wayne.
Diane and her husband Chris have 3 grown children.