Gabriel Di Gennaro’s role as an educator has grown over the years to encompass a variety of genres and locations. While earning a bachelor's degree in the honors program at the University of Delaware, he created a unique major that combined music education, applied voice, and theatre performance studies through their Dean’s Scholar Program. During this time, Gabriel participated in short-term education exchanges in Sweden and Jamaica, the latter with SUNY Potsdam’s Jamaica Field Service Project. Additionally, he founded and directed two outreach ensembles—ProjectMUSIC: Opera! and the Blue Hen Men, an a cappella quintet—for the University’s ProjectMUSIC initiative.
Although Gabriel then pursued a master’s in voice at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, he maintained connection to his education roots as the choral graduate assistant there as well as an event leader for Sharing Notes, a non-profit that brings interactive, engaging live musical performances to local hospitals. In the summer, he began, and continues, to music and stage direct for the Cab Calloway School of the Arts’ SMArtSummer program. With students ranging from kindergarteners to twelfth graders, Gabriel has directed student versions of Seussical, The Little Mermaid, Hairspray, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, and Bye Bye Birdie in addition to MTI’s KIDS versions of The Jungle Book, Aladdin, Willy Wonka, and The Aristocats.
After completing his graduate studies, Gabriel joined Latin School of Chicago as the private voice instructor for their middle and upper schools before becoming their full-time vocal music director in 2018. In that role, he directed five curricular choirs as well as three extracurricular a cappella groups, music directed the middle and upper school musicals, directed the Student/Faculty Chorale, and taught a music technology course. He designed curricula for Advanced Class Voice and General Music classes, and, in collaboration with the instrumental music director, developed a scope and sequence for the middle and upper school music programs. Gabriel supervised senior projects as well as independent study programs, and was is a dedicated member of Latin’s White Identifying Anti-Racist Affinity group.
Gabriel’s extended cross-country trip finally found the opposite coast when he became the director of vocal music at Cate School in Carpinteria, California in 2022. At Cate, he directs the all-comers ensemble Chorale, the auditioned chamber ensemble Camerata, and the auditioned a cappella group No Strings Attached. In addition, he music directs the annual musical, teaches the music rotation of the ninth grade Foundation Arts class, and leads the Advanced Vocal Music class for seniors. In 2023, Gabriel became the dormitory head for the ninth grade male identifying dormitory on campus. His students have participated in regional, state, and national honor choirs, and No Strings Attached has received consistent superior ratings from the Southern California Vocal Association.