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Biography

Shawn Degenhart’s arranging and orchestration work has been heard from Los Angeles to New York. A native of central Illinois, he has been involved in the arts in the Peoria area for his entire life. He’s widely known in the community theatre world as a first-class music director and has worked with Eastlight Theatre, Cornstock Theatre, Peoria Players Theatre, and others. Some of his favorite productions have included playing keyboards and writing orchestrations for the national premiere of “Metropolis,” and most recently, music directing “Mary Poppins.” Shawn is a sought-after music engraver and orchestrator. He has done work for Disney, including writing several arrangements and orchestrations for the “Great, Big, Beautiful Tribute to Richard,” a memorial concert celebrating the life of Richard Sherman (half of the Sherman Brothers team that wrote the music for “Mary Poppins,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “Jungle Book,” and “it’s a small world.”). He’s done transposition work for several theatre companies in New York, including MTI (Music Theatre International), and also played keyboards for two productions of “Saviour: A Modern Oratorio” at Carnegie Hall. Shawn also is an active engraver, preparing manuscripts for recording sessions in Nashville.

Shawn is president of two organizations: Degenhart Music, which recently published a full study score from Disney’s 1950 “Cinderella,” and GospelFest Ministries, a local non-profit music ministry that produces the popular “GospelFest” concerts throughout central Illinois. With GospelFest, he also hosts and produces the internationally syndicated “GospelFest Hour” radio program, airing locally on WBNH 88.5FM on Saturday evenings at 6 p.m. He’s also involved at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria as pianist, arranger/orchestrator, choir director, and director of the annual “Grace Family Christmas” production.

Shawn received a bachelor’s degree in music theory/comp and music history from Illinois State University, and a master’s in choral conducting, also from ISU.