Clay Whittington serves as the Director of Music Ministries for Immanuel Presbyterian Church and directs Adoración, the Handbell Choir, and the Sanctuary Choir. Outside of his work at Immanuel, Clay maintains an active performance calendar with the Gaslight Theatre and serves as assistant conductor for the Tucson Summer Chorus. In the spring of 2025, Clay will oversee choral preparation for a Tucson interfaith production of Rob Gardner’s oratorio Lamb of God.

Clay is a second-year student in the Master of Music program in Choral Conducting at the University of Arizona, studying under Dr. Elizabeth Schauer, Dr. M. Nicole Davis, and Dr. Jeff Vanderlee. He serves as Assistant Director for the University Singers under the direction of Dr. M. Nicole Davis. He received his Bachelor of Music magna cum laude with a concentration in Sacred Music (Vocal/Choral) from East Carolina University (Greenville, NC), studying with Prof. John Kramar, Dr. James Franklin, and Prof. Andrew Scanlon. During his undergraduate studies, Clay performed with East Carolina University Opera Theatre and the internationally renowned East Carolina University Chamber Singers. He was inducted into the Beta Zeta Chapter of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. Clay recieved his Associate in Fine Arts in Music from Lenoir Community College (Kinston, NC).

As a chorister, Clay has worked with the Helios Ensemble, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus, the Washington National Cathedral and the Carmel Bach Festival. He has performed under the direction of Dr. Benjamin Hansen, Dr. Marcela Molina, Maestro José Luis Gomez, Michael McCarthy, Simon Carrington, Dr. Andrew Megill, and Maestro Paul Goodwin.

Clay has served as the principal musician for churches in the United Methodist and Episcopal traditions for much of the last two decades. In these roles, he has conducted choral and instrumental ensembles in North Carolina, California, and Arizona. Outside of regular worship services, he has lead music and worship at the North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and the Diocesan Conventions for the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real and the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina.

Clay is an active member of the American Guild of Organists, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the Hymn Society, and the Presbyterian Association of Musicians. He serves as the Vice President of the University of Arizona Graduate Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and has been featured in the Choral Journal.

Clay Whittington
Director of Music Ministries
clay@immanuelpc.org