MHS Choir Director & Unified Music Teacher Email Phone: (262) 363-6200 x25820 Facebook: MukChoir/?view_public_for=101689827998592 Michigan-born conductor and baritone PJ Uhazie has had the privilege of performing opera, oratorio, musical theater, and choral music throughout the Midwest.Most recently, Uhazie performed with Seraphic Fire under the baton of Maestro Robert Spano in Berlioz’s Grande Messe de Morts as part of the 2022 Aspen Summer Music Festival.
As a conductor and music educator, Uhazie is grateful to have led ensembles to success on both the concert and theatrical stage. In the 6 years that Uhazie has been a public school teacher, his ensembles have received awards for both their arts advocacy and musical excellence, including the 2020 & 2022 national gold medal for community engagement through Music for All’s Arts in Advocacy program and perfect scores at state festivals. In 2020, Uhazie was also awarded “Best Musical Direction of a Musical” through the Wisconsin Jerry Awards for Mukwonago High School’s production of Hello Dolly! Uhazie’s ensembles were also thankful to have performed the 2019 American premier of Howard Skempton’s “Alice is One.” Uhazie currently teaches at Mukwonago High School where he teaches 4 curricular choirs, a show choir, individual voice lessons, and 5 extra-curricular ensembles. In 2021, Uhazie created a Unified Music course that provides a musical education to students with disabilities. The course explores composition, folk dance, drumming, and other forms of music-making, and culminates in a collaborative formal concert with the curricular choirs of Mukwonago High School.
Uhazie served as the Director of Music for the First United Methodist Church of Appleton Wisconsin from 2014 until May of 2021. Together, the ensembles of FUMC and orchestra performed masterworks such as: Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living, Jubilate Deo, and LUX. Currently, Uhazie serves as Chancel Choir director for the Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church where he has been since 2022.
Uhazie graduated magna cum laude from Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music in 2017 where he received his undergraduate degree in music education and a minor in Vocal Pedagogy. In 2018, the university chose Uhazie as the recipient for the Pi Kappa Lambda award for excellence in music education.