Preferred Pronouns

he/him

Employed Since

Fall 2026

Educational History

B.M., Furman University; M.M., University of Rochester; D.M.A., University of Maryland

Professional Highlights

Mark Helms is the newly-appointed visiting choral artist-in-residence and director of choral activities at Shenandoah Conservatory, where he conducts the Conservatory Choir, leads the graduate program in choral conducting, serves as chorusmaster for operas and teaches other courses in conducting and choral music. Prior to his appointment at Shenandoah, Dr. Helms served for two years as interim director of choirs at William & Mary, where he conducted the William & Mary Choir, led the Ebony Expressions Gospel Choir, taught academic courses in music and led the William & Mary Choir on their first international tour in nearly ten years.

Helms is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland (UMD), College Park, where he received his Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting. At Maryland, he served as primary conductor of the University Chorale, assistant conductor of the UMD Chamber Singers, chorus master for the Maryland Opera Studio, instructor of undergraduate conducting courses and assisted in the preparation of choruses for the Baltimore and National Symphony Orchestras. His dissertation research at Maryland focused on shifting choral repertoire programming trends following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Helms previously conducted church, community and collegiate ensembles in Pennsylvania for six years, where he served as director of choral activities and liturgical music at DeSales University and as director of music and the arts at Doylestown Presbyterian Church. In 2021, he received the Outstanding Young Conductor Award from the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Choral Directors Association in recognition of his work in the state. Helms is also a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he earned a Master of Music degree in choral conducting, and of Furman University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in church music. He has studied conducting with Jason Max Ferdinand, Edward Maclary, David Neely, William Weinert, Brad Lubman and Hugh Ferguson Floyd.