Timothy Renner, a native of Northern Virginia, joined the voice faculty at Eastern Illinois in 2014. A man of many talents, Timothy is an active singer, pianist, vocal coach, pedagogue, and choral conductor. At EIU, he teaches applied voice, directs the University Mixed Chorus, and serves as director of musical theatre/opera.

In 2009, He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC, with his Bachelor of Science degree in music education with emphases in piano, studying with Dr. Peter Davis, and choral conducting. His Master of Music in church music is also from BJU, where he studied voice with Jean Greer and Dr. Stanley Eby, and piano with David Lehman. As a graduate assistant at BJU, Timothy taught applied voice, accompanied the Lyric Choir, and directed opera choruses for Il Trovatore and Faust, for which he also served as rehearsal accompanist. Currently, Timothy is in the process of completing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice performance and literature at the University of Illinois, where he was the recipient of the prestigious Stotler Howard Fellowship for two consecutive years, as well as the Joseph W. Schlanger Memorial Opera Scholarship. Currently studying with Jerold Siena, he has been extremely active in the opera/lyric theatre department. Recent roles include the titles in Falstaff and Gianni Schicchi, Riolobo in Florencia en el Amazonas, Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, and Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore. With his cognate in accompanying, he continues to enjoy vocal coaching and accompanying, playing for undergraduate and graduate recitals at UIUC and providing private coaching for colleagues and undergraduate students.

Timothy is gradually making a name for himself as a professional performer, having sung the baritone solos for Carmina Burana with the Eastern Symphony Orchestra at Eastern Illinois University in April 2013, conducted by Dr. Richard Rossi. In March 2013 he sang the bass solos in St. Matthew Passion with the Sinfonia da Camera, conducted by Fred Stoltzfus. He has sung in various private recital settings in recent years as well, and already has an opera engagement to perform in South Carolina in 2016. He also greatly enjoys being involved in community theatre. Recently he has served as music director for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Mary Poppins with the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company, and last summer he sang the role of Javert in Les Misérables. He is also instrumental in the music ministry at his church, First Baptist of Danville, IL, serving as choir director and leader of worship.