The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Conductors’ Symposium, now in its eighth year, is an important part of its Emerging Conductors Program to further the development of young conductors. The week-long series of workshops and conducting sessions, led by acclaimed conductor Noel Edison, brings together five conductors from across North America. Participants have the rare opportunity to conduct 100 voices of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the 20-voice professional Elora Singers in rehearsals throughout the week and in the concluding free public performance, which is also webcast live.

The 2018 Symposium will run from January 23-27. The participating conductors are: Connor Doran from Rochester, New York; Dr. Alexandra Grabarchuk from Los Angeles, California; Trevor Kroeger from Cincinnati, Ohio; Virginie Pacheco from Montreal, Quebec; and Daniel Parsley from Cincinnati, Ohio. Read more about the conductors.

Local conductors and conducting students are welcome as observers to the workshop sessions. Get more info about the Symposium schedule and observer fees.

The concluding concert takes place Saturday, January 27 at 3 pm at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church (one block north of St. Clair on Yonge St).  It’s a wonderful opportunity for people to enjoy an eclectic concert of choral music (from excerpts of Mozart and Duruflé requiems to contemporary works and folk songs) performed by two Grammy-nominated choirs – the Elora Singers and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and to see the work of five up-and-coming conductors. Admission to the concert is free (donations in support of TMC education and outreach programs will be accepted).  For those not able to make the concert in person, it will also be webcast live. More details on the concert webpage.

For the webcast, the TMC includes a “conductor-cam” to give viewers insight into the different conducting styles of the participating conductors. Check out a selection of video clips from the 2017 Symposium concert on YouTube.

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