The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMC) has created a new Associate Conductor position to provide talented young choral conductors with coaching, training and mentoring from Canada's pre-eminent choral organization, while providing the TMC and its Artistic Director with high-caliber conducting support.  The TMC put out a call for applications for the Associate Conductor in April and received 30 excellent applications from across North America.

 

Artistic Director Noel Edison and the TMC Board of Directors have announced that, after a rigorous application process, the first Associate Conductor hired under this program will be Matthew Otto. 

 

Matthew Otto is a gifted Toronto-based musician; he is an active choral and orchestral conductor and collaborative pianist.  He holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition and a Master of Music Performance in Conducting from the University of Toronto.  He continued his conducting studies under a number of renowned conductors and participated in the 2011 TMC Choral Conductors’ Symposium.  He has worked with numerous choirs and was most recently Assistant Conductor of Pax Christi Chorale.  Matthew will work with internationally-respected conductor Noel Edison and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir in this two-year part-time position, starting September 1, 2011.

 

The Associate Conductor position expands the TMC’s Emerging Conductors Program which also includes the annual Choral Conductors’ Symposium.  This program supports the TMC’s mission to strengthen the choral community in Canada by educating and mentoring emerging conductors.