Donna J. Gallo

Dr. Donna Gallo is an Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses focused on music teaching and learning with early childhood and elementary age groups; disability studies in music/music education; curriculum perspectives; and research methods. In 2024, Gallo received a School of Music award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity and was awarded the Parsons Music Advocacy Award from the International Society for Music Education for a community-engaged songwriting project. Prior to her appointment at the University of Illinois, Gallo was on faculty at Westminster Choir College where she also coordinated the Kodály Certification program. Gallo taught K-6 general/choral music in Fairfax County Public Schools (VA) and in Simsbury Public Schools (CT). She earned a Ph.D. in Music Education from Northwestern University, a Master of Music Education Silver Lake College of the Holy Family (WI), and a Bachelor of Music Education from Indiana University. Additionally, Gallo earned two certificates from the Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music (Kesckemét, Hungary) where she was awarded the International Kodály Society Scholarship, and she earned Kodály and Orff certifications in the US. Gallo has served on editorial boards for the Orff Echo and the Music Educators Journal.