The College

Harry Chalmiers took office as President of McNally Smith College of Music in August 2007.  He is the first person to be selected as President of the St. Paul, Minnesota college other than the school’s co-founders.  Mr. Chalmiers, a Louisiana native, brings a wealth of experience as a music educator and administrator to his role as President.  Mr. Chalmiers is also an accomplished guitarist and composer who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition from Berklee College of Music and a Master’s Degree in Music Composition from the New England Conservatory.

Prior to joining McNally Smith, Mr. Chalmiers spent eight years as the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost at Berklee College of Music in Boston.  During his time at the prestigious music college, Mr. Chalmiers led many important academic initiatives, including co-authoring the grant to redesign Berklee’s music education department curriculum by using music technology in teaching methodology. Mr. Chalmiers played a key role in program management and financial planning, in improving relations between the faculty union and college administration, and in advancing diversity and equity in the college faculty and leadership positions.

Mr. Chalmiers career in music education included a previous tenure in Minnesota as the Executive Director of MacPhail Center for the Performing Arts in Minneapolis.  As Executive Director, he guided MacPhail’s transition to becoming a private arts school when its affiliation with the University of Minnesota ended in 1994.   Mr. Chalmiers oversaw successful funding campaigns, raising over $1 million annually, and forged important partnerships with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Walker Art Center.   While at MacPhail, Mr. Chalmiers also helped to create the prestigious McKnight Artist Fellowship for Performing Musicians.

In 1985, Mr. Chalmiers co-founded the Indian Hill Music Center in Littleton, Massachusetts.  At Indian Hill, where he also served as the first Executive Director, Mr. Chalmiers helped build one of the northeast region’s premier community music schools and professional symphony orchestras.  In the early 1980’s, he helped to establish the jazz education program at the University of Massachusetts – Lowell where he created a ground-breaking curriculum using music technology to teach music theory based on songwriting.  An early adopter of music technology, he presented the subject for Silver Burdett Ginn Publishers and has established curriculum-based music technology programs in numerous public and community schools. 

As a music instructor, Mr. Chalmiers has taught ear training, composition, counterpoint, and jazz and classical guitar performance at the University of Massachusetts – Lowell and at Berklee College of Music.

Mr. Chalmiers started out on guitar in the fourth grade, and was an accomplished rock guitarist by the time he graduated from high school in Louisiana.  Once he heard a recording of Segovia playing a Bach composition, Mr. Chalmiers turned his focus to classical guitar.  Mr. Chalmiers went on to become an accomplished classical guitarist, performing as soloist with symphony orchestras and giving numerous solo and chamber music concerts.  He has composed piano music, orchestral music, electronic pieces and guitar music in a wide range of styles, and his compositions for classical guitar are published by Clear Note Publications.  

Harry Chalmiers lives in St. Paul, MN, and Harvard, MA, with his wife of nearly 30 years, Alice Gebura.  Alice is the proprietor of Smart Alice Web Design.  Their daughter Morgen is a high school junior at the Commonwealth School in Boston.

Read the President's Blog.

Jack McNally
Chairman of the Board

Jack's vision to start a music school began while teaching at the MacPhail Center, then a part of the University of Minnesota. Jack is active in the business and financial operations of the college and is the Chairman of the Board of Directors while continuing to be active as a guitarist, songwriter, and singer.

Jack is past president of the Minnesota Music Academy, a member of NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the GRAMMY organization) and recipient of the 2000 Outstanding Musicians of the 20th Century. Jack was named to the INC 500 as chairman of one of the fastest growing organizations in the country and is listed in the Who's Who in Executives and Professionals.

Doug Smith
Vice President

Doug has worked with many music professionals to create the curriculum and develop each program the school offers. Doug is a classical guitarist, lutist, composer, and author of the 12 volume series, Doug Smith’s Classical Guitar Method [McNally Smith College Press] and the best seller Classical Guitar for Young Children . Doug’s music is recorded on the Munificent label. A graduate of Winona State University, Doug served as National Education Chairman of the Guitar Division of the American String Teachers Association. Doug serves on the board of the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music.

Cliff Wittstruck
Dean of Academic Affairs

Cliff received a bachelor’s degree in professional music from Berklee College, and was awarded the Jim Hall Scholarship and the Ovation Guitar Award. Cliff earned his master’s degree in jazz performance from The New England Conservatory of Music, and had the opportunity to study with Mick Goodrick, Bob Moses, and Dave Holland.

Cliff performed with the R&B group Inside Straight and opened for such nationally renowned performers as James Brown, Roy Buchanan, Junior Walker and the All Stars, Sam and Dave, the Minnesota Orchestra, and Sun Ra. Since returning to the Twin Cities, Cliff has played with Bernadette Peters, Rupert’s Orchestra, Mick Sterling and The Stud Brothers, and The Wolverines Classic Jazz Orchestra. Cliff was also recognized in the 2002 and 2004 editions of "Who's Who Among America's Teachers". He also performed through the U.S., Far East, Mexico and Caribbean with the group Synergy. Cliff is a regular performer with Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band on the nationally syndicated radio program, "A Prairie Home Companion," hosted by Garrison Keillor. On the show’s 20th anniversary special broadcast, Cliff played with country great, Chet Atkins. Cliff continues to perform regularly at various Twin Cities venues and on various CD recording projects as well as on TV and radio commercials. Cliff uses D'Adario strings.

André Fischer
Dean of Music Industries

André Fischer comes to McNally Smith with a lifetime of experience working in all facets of the global music industry. As a performer, producer, music industry executive, and educator, he has worked with some of the biggest names in the business. Before coming to McNally Smith, André Fischer worked as Instructor of Production for the Thornton School's Music Industry Department at the University of Southern California.

As Dean of Music Industries, André works in the development of curriculum for the Recording Technology and Music Business programs. He also shares his expertise with McNally Smith students by teaching courses in those areas.

With forty Platinum and twenty-five Gold Albums, André Fischer is best known for his production, performing, and arrangement work on the legendary group “Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan” albums, and Natalie Cole's "Unforgettable" (which earned seven Grammy awards). He has held executive positions at various music & film companies including Senior Vice President, MCA/Universal Urban Music Dept; Vice President Jazz A&R for Quincy Jones, Qwest/Warner Bros.; and Vice President of Publishing Development, 20th Century Fox Records & Films.

Fischer is responsible for producing, executive producing, performing, and recording with many of the music industry's most gifted pop, R&B, rock, and jazz performers: Rufus featuring Chaka Khan (founding member and producer), Patti Labelle, Michael Franks, Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett’s Perfectly Frank (which won a 1993 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal), James Ingram, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Pointer Sisters, Diane Schuur, Temptations, Dusty Springfield, Brenda Russell, OC Smith, Dr. John, Laura Nyro, Lou Rawls, Jackie DeShannon, Nancy Wilson, Milt Jackson, Bruce Hornsby, Oscar Brown, Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions, Jerry Butler, The Rolling Stones tour, Elton John tour, The Who Tour, Etta James, Neil Diamond, Anita Baker, Janet Jackson, Vesta Williams, Leroy Hudson, Betty Wright, Phil Perry, Steve Khan, Tower of Power, Vanessa Ruben, Angela Winbush, James Moody, Ahmad Jamal, Isley Brothers, Donny Hathaway, Richie Havens, Eddie Harris, Clarke Terry, Randy Crawford, Ralph Tresvant, Jackie Lomax, Al Green, and Bobby Brown.