Dr. Nicole Mattfeld is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Alma College, where she conducts Alma Choir, College Chorale, and Alma Acapella. She also teaches courses in conducting and music education. With a passion for creating lifelong singers and expressing the human condition through singing, Nicole’s varied conducting experiences have included working with university, secondary, community youth, and church ensembles. Prior to Alma College, she served as Assistant Professor of Music at Bethel University, Director of Youth Choirs for Minnesota Chorale, Artistic Director & Conductor of Minnesota Center Chorale, Chorus Director for Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra, and Director of Bella Fiore with Sing Out Loud. Before this, she taught secondary choir and worked as a hospice therapeutic musician.
Dr. Mattfeld is active across the United States as a guest conductor and adjudicator at music festivals and conferences. She has presented choirs at festivals and conferences throughout the United States and her choirs have performed nationally and internationally. She will make her conducting debut at Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica Productions in Spring 2027. Her voice students have been awarded state and regional awards and have pursued careers as professional musicians and music educators. As a trained coloratura soprano, Nicole has performed with Opera Fort Collins, Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, Kantorei, Fargo-Moorhead Choral Artists, Minnesota Renaissance Choir, BEYOND Choir, and Chant Claire.
Dr. Mattfeld currently serves on the board of American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) of Michigan. She has previously held positions on the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) and ACDA-MN boards. Nicole is a proud member of the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, the National Association for Music Education, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Her research is focused on the scientific benefits of music, specifically utilizing HeartMath techniques to enhance heart coherence and physiological entrainment in the choral ensemble. She has studied under the mentorship of Maestro Wes Kenney, Dr. Rebecca Phillips, Dr. James Kim, Dr. Sharon Hansen, and Dr. Valerie Errante.
Educational Background:
- Doctorate of Music Education – Liberty University, 2024
- Master of Music with a Conducting Specialization – Colorado State University, 2019
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in K-12 Choral Music Education – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2012
Upcoming Short Courses
Thursday 28th January 2027
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Focus on the Heart: Benefits of HeartMath Techniques for Singers!
Nicole M. Mattfeld
What if singing could do more than move us emotionally? What if it could also help us feel more balanced, connected, and in tune with ourselves and others? Join Dr. Nicole Mattfeld for an engaging exploration of the science behind singing and its powerful connection to our physical, emotional, and social well-being. Drawing on research from the HeartMath Institute over the past decade, this course explores the relationship between music, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and the body’s capacity to cultivate greater physiological and emotional coherence.