About

Frank Martignetti teaches general, choral, and instrumental music at South Norwalk Elementary School in the Norwalk Public Schools, designated by NAMM as one of the USA’s “Best Communities for Music Education.” Dr. Martignetti also serves as Director of Music & Organist at First Church of Fairfield, Connecticut, where he plays the church’s renowned Klais pipe organ, conducts the Chancel Choir, and leads the Music in the Meetinghouse concert series. As a landmarked buidling and community arts venue, First Church is the only Connecticut house of worship included in an official Cultural District.

A consultant and clinician on urban music education, choral music education, music education curriculum, and culturally responsive education, Dr. Martignetti served as a full time university professor from 2012-25. Most recently, he founded and led the Music Education program at Sacred Heart University until its closure. He continues as a part time faculty member in SHU’s Department of Teacher Education. Previously, he served as Chair, Department of Music & Performing Arts at the University of Bridgeport, also leading choral activities, and additionally as a church musician in Manhattan, Connecticut, and Ohio. A K-12 music teacher from 2000-2010, he received the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s 2006 Excellence in Music Teaching Award for his work in the New Haven Public Schools.

As a conductor, Martignetti has prepared singers for performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, both at UB and as the Artistic Director of the Mystic River Chorale from 2008 to 2021. In addition to being the longest serving director in MRC’s 40 year history, Dr. Martignetti was a finalist for the 2015 American Prize in Choral Conducting for his work with MRC. Recent guest conducting appearances include Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica Productions (2027), the Fairfield County Chorale (2025), the Mystic River Chorale (2024), Fairfield Center Stage (2023), the Sacred Heart University Orchestra (2022), the CMEA Southern Region HS Festival (2022), and New Haven Oratorio Choir (2021). As organist and accompanist, he has performed throughout the metropolitan area.

His current scholarship involves urban music education, urban education, culturally sustaining education, sociological approaches to music education, and innovation in the collegiate music curriculum. In addition to presentations and clinics at many conferences, school districts, and universities, his writing has been published by Oxford University Press, Information Age Publishing, in the Choral Journal, Music Educators Journal, Visions of Research in Music Education, the College Music Society Symposium, the Journal of Popular Music Education, and the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing.

He is a past Dean and the current Treasurer of the Greater Bridgeport Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, as well as a board member and pre-concert lecturer for the Greater Bridgeport Symphony. Previously, he served as Treasurer of Connecticut’s Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.

Dr. Martignetti holds degrees from the University of Rochester (BA), the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM), New York University (PhD), and the Eastman School of Music (BM).

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