Clay Whittington is a versatile conductor, tenor, organist, and pianist originally from Kinston, North Carolina. He currently serves as Director of Music Ministries at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona, Artistic Director for the Tucson Summer Chorus, and performs regularly as a pianist and entertainer with The Gaslight Theatre. His active performance calendar has included engagements with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Pebble Beach Resorts, The Gaslight Music Hall, Fairmont Hotels, and Carnival Cruise Line.
Clay holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona, where he performed with the Symphonic Choir and served as Assistant Director for both the University Singers and Treble Glee. He earned his Bachelor of Music magna cum laude with a concentration in Sacred Music (Vocal/Choral) from East Carolina University and an Associate in Fine Arts in Music from Lenoir Community College. His collegiate performance credits include roles with ECU Opera Theatre and the internationally acclaimed ECU Chamber Singers. He is a member of the Beta Zeta Chapter of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society.
As a chorister, Clay has performed with ensembles including the Helios Ensemble, Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Washington National Cathedral, and the Carmel Bach Festival. He has worked under the direction of esteemed conductors such as Dr. Elizabeth Schauer, Dr. M. Nicole Davis, Dr. James Franklin, Dr. Benjamin Hansen, Dr. Marcela Molina, Maestro José Luis Gomez, Michael McCarthy, Simon Carrington, Dr. Andrew Megill, and Maestro Paul Goodwin.
With over two decades of experience in church music leadership, Clay has served as principal musician for congregations within the Anglican and Reformed traditions across North Carolina, California, and Arizona. He has led music for major denominational gatherings, including the North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and the Diocesan Conventions for both 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 American Choral Directors Association, and the Presbyterian Association of Musicians.