TMC Announces Participating Conductors for the 2012 Choral Conductors’ Symposium

The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir has announced the five conductors who will be participating in the TMC’s 2012 Choral Conductors’ Symposium, January 24-28 in Toronto. The TMC’s Choral Conductors Symposium (begun in 2011) is designed to propel emerging conductors to new levels of artistic growth. The Symposium recognizes that, at the head of every successful choral organization, is a skilled conductor who possesses not just a clear vision of the repertoire being performed, but the musical ability and communicative power necessary to bring a group of singers together as a single unit.

The Symposium is led by conductor Noel Edison, and participating conductors have the opportunity to conduct the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Elora Festival Singers.

Conductors wishing to participate submitted an extensive application package, including video footage from concerts or rehearsals. Conductor Noel Edison and TMC Executive Director Cynthia Hawkins recently selected an international roster of five conductors who will participate in the 2012 Symposium.  This year’s conductors are: Ana Alvarez, Elaine Choi, Dominic Gregorio, Jared Oaks and Charles Tyler Turner.
These conductors will go through an intensive five-day program which includes daily professional development and coaching sessions with Noel Edison, and conducting sessions with both the Elora Festival Singers and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, rehearsing a wide range of choral repertoire.  The Symposium will conclude this year with a free community concert on January 28 at 3 pm at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.  Workshops and rehearsals will take place in the Distillery District and at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.

The repertoire to be covered includes:

Toronto Mendelssohn Choir:
Biebl                    Ave Maria
Faure                    Sanctus (from Requiem)
Halley                   Freedom Trilogy
Handel                  Excerpts from Israel in Egypt: He gave them hailstones; He sent a thick darkness;
                       and He smote all the first borne of Egypt
Haydn                   The Heavens are Telling (from Creation)
Mozart                  Credo (from Mass in C minor)
Stanford                Coelos Ascendit Hodie
Verdi                     Sanctus (from Requiem)
Whitacre               Water Night

Elora Festival Singers:
Britten                  Excerpts from Choral Dances from Gloriana: Time; and Concord
Byrd                      Haec dies
Corlis                    To see the cherry hung with snow
Harvey                  Remember, O Lord
Mendelssohn        Nunc dimittis
Poston                  Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
Rutter                   Dashing away with the smoothing iron
Somers                 Si j’avais le Bateau
 

More about this year's conductors:

Ana Alvarez
Originally from Columbia
Currently DMA student at University of Toronto
Holds M.M. from University of Victoria, and B.Mus from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Columbia
Currently conducts the U of T Women’s Chorus, and is a member of the MacMillan Singers.
Current research focuses on authentic performance practice of Latin America Music

Elaine Choi
Torontonian
Graduated in 2010 with M.Mus Performance from U of T.
Also has B.Mus in Music Education from U of T, and is an Associate of Trinity College, London
Currently Director of Music at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church
Co-Founder/Conductor of Windago (chamber wind and choral ensemble, specializing in contemporary music)

Dominic Gregorio
From Guelph, Ontario
Currently DMA student at University of Southern California
Received M.M, Triple Major from Temple University, Philadelphia & BA from University of Guelph
Currently Conductor of McMaster University Choir
Extensive conducting experience in California, Taiwan and Philadelphia
Currently volunteers as a conductor and teacher with the Guelph Youth Singers

Jared Oaks
From Salt Lake City, Utah
Holds M.M. in Choral Conducting from Brigham Young University, and also B.Mus.
Currently Assistant Conductor of Ballet West
Currently Choir Director at Salt Lake High School for the Performing Arts
Was Assistant Conductor of Brigham Young University Singers
Passionate advocate for the performance and study of Scandinavian music

Charles Tyler Turner
From Boston, MA
MA student at Harvard University in Music Education
Has BA, Music and Educational Studies from Rhodes College, Memphis
Currently Teaching Fellow with Boston Children’s Chorus
Also works as a Choral Artist for the Metropolitan Opera