UPDATE FROM THE TORONTO MENDELSSOHN CHOIR

The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir announces an exciting array of community events for the 2023/2024 season, led by an all-new Community Engagement team under the artistic direction of Jean-Sébastien Vallée. From free performances to choral workshops, the TMChoir returns this season with both long-time choral favourites and new community endeavours.

To facilitate these new ventures, the TMChoir appointed Lesley Emma Bouza as Community Engagement Coordinator and Justin Jalea as Community Engagement Advisor. “This season, I’m excited to explore the diverse communities and identities that intersect within TMChoir and to better understand our choir’s own identity,” says Jalea. “I believe that knowing ourselves better will help us forge stronger connections with the communities we represent and those we hope to engage.”

The TMChoir also announces Dr. Tracy Wong as the 2023/2024 TMChoir Composer in Residence. Dr. Wong is a choral conductor, music educator, composer, vocalist and pianist. The Composer in Residence role was inaugurated last season. During her tenure, Dr. Wong will premiere a number of new choral works, the first at the choir’s Carmina Burana concerts at Roy Thomson Hall on October 26 and 27.

She is also the keynote speaker for the TMChoir Exchange: A day of choral community workshops Join the TMChoir and the Toronto choral community for a day of workshops, masterclasses and lectures on a variety of topics centred around choral music, vocal music and musical community building. Facilitators come from across the TMChoir and musical communities. This one-day event will include events for every choral music enthusiast, from the armchair music fan to active choral singers of every level. Read and learn more here.

Singsation The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir welcomes you to their Saturday morning singing workshop, Singsation. Each workshop is led by a member of TMChoir’s artistic community and these facilitators will guide you in the exploration of their choral music of choice across a variety of genres, cultures and musical eras. Start your Saturday with people who love to sing! Read and learn more here.

Take the Podium Conducting Symposium — May 21 – 25, 2024: The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s annual Choral Conducting Symposium returns this season under the leadership of Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée. The program invites emerging conductors and those who wish to refine their skills to participate in a five-day series of workshops and masterclasses with Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien. Participants will have the rare opportunity to conduct the 140 voices of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the 24-voice professional core of the TMChoir in rehearsals throughout the week and in the concluding free public performance, which is live-streamed. Read and learn more here.

• Application deadline December 8th, 2023.

Choral Composition Competition: The Debbie Fleming Prize for Choral Composition was created in 2015 to support the winner of the new annual TMChoir Choral Composition Competition for emerging composers. Debbie Fleming is a TMChoir alumna who sang in the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for 40 years and who retired in June 2015. The winning work is premiered by the TMChoir. Read and learn more here.

• Application deadline January 13, 2024.

Pop-Up Concerts: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Pop-Up Concerts bring the experience of choral music to a variety of spaces and audiences in and around the city. Hear members of the TMChoir in short, twenty-minute performances of beautiful music in a variety of styles, from the masterworks of the past to the newest creations of today’s choral composers.

#LUDWIGVAN

This is a member’s post: if you are interested in becoming a member, please contact us here.