Take Note

Introducing New Faculty Member

Dr. John Cornish has joined the College of the Ozarks Music Department as Assistant Professor of Music. He is the director of the Chapel Choir and instructor of voice, conducting, church music, and music exploration classes. Dr. Cornish also leads worship each Sunday at the college’s chapel services in Williams Memorial Chapel. Prior to joining the faculty at College of the Ozarks, Dr. Cornish taught at San Jacinto College in Houston, TX, where he directed the college choir and instructed a variety of music-related courses. Dr. Cornish also previously taught at Cameron University in Lawton, OK and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX.


From 2008-2012, Dr. Cornish was Associate Conductor of the Southwestern Seminary Master Chorale, Fort Worth’s largest professional choral ensemble. In addition to preparing the chorus for numerous classical and pops concerts with the Fort Worth Symphony, he conducted the chorus in performances of John Rutter’s Magnificat and other choral works, including his own compositions. Dr. Cornish was also featured as a tenor soloist with the Master Chorale in performances of Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Requiem, and Rachmaninoff’s Vespers. A life-long church musician, Dr. Cornish has served on the music staff of five different congregations in Texas and Oklahoma. Dr. Cornish is also an active choral composer, with one published work (Abide with Me, 2012) and several other works pending publication.


Dr. Cornish holds degrees from Cameron University (B. A.) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.M and D.M.A). Dr. Cornish has been mentored by conductors David Thye, John Stanley Ross, Michael Cox, and Kurt Sprenger, and by composers Stephen Johnson and Dan Forrest.


John is married to Rashel, and they are the parents of Claire (6) and Cameron (4).