Toronto, January 16, 2025 — The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMChoir) is proud to announce an exciting new initiative for local conductors: the Conducting Mentoring Program, taking place over several weeks in April and May 2025. This program is designed for local conductors of all experience levels, including university students and emerging community leaders, and will focus on educational activities surrounding the community concert, rather than extensive podium time. The program delivers a personalized, in-depth musical learning experience for participants, combining observation, discussions, and lectures.
With its innovative approach to conducting mentorship, it emphasizes hands-on engagement and collaborative learning, providing an unparalleled opportunity for participants to refine their craft. Additionally, the program fosters connections among musical leaders from the GTA, creating a supportive network for artistic growth and professional development.
Why the Change?
The decision to pause the annual symposium and launch the Conducting Mentoring Program reflects TMChoir’s commitment to evolving its approach to education and mentorship. “Our reimagined Conducting Mentoring Program focuses on developing local talent and strengthening choral communities,” says TMChoir Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée. “By prioritizing workshops, discussions, and open rehearsals over performance, we’re creating an inclusive space for conductors of all experience levels to learn and grow.”
In a mentoring program led exclusively by Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée, program highlights include:
- Pre-Rehearsal Workshops: Conductors will participate in interactive workshops before rehearsals begin. These sessions will include focused discussions on score study, ensemble preparation, and artistic interpretation, equipping conductors with advanced strategies to refine their leadership
skills. - Conducting Seminar: In-depth seminar will be offered as part of the program, discussing conducting techniques, gesture analysis, and the relationship between conductors and their ensembles. These seminars are designed to deepen participants’ understanding of the conductor’s role as both a musician
and a communicator. - Rehearsal Techniques Workshop: This workshop will focus on practical strategies for leading effective rehearsals, including techniques for achieving precision in ensemble performance, addressing common rehearsal challenges, and fostering a collaborative and engaging environment. Participants will gain insights into time management, choral pedagogy, and crafting a rehearsal process that ensures both artistic excellence and ensemble growth.
Community Concert: Friday, May 9, 2025
The mentorship program will end with a concert led by Jean-Sébastien Vallée, featuring the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir accompanied by organist Jonathan Oldengarm and pianist Irene Gregorio.This concert will feature Duruflé’s Requiem, a newly commissioned work by Aaron Manswell, and more cherished choral work including the premiere of the winning composition from this years Choral Composition Competition. The TMChoir is proud to support the next generation of choral leaders through this new initiative. Applications for the Conductor Mentoring Program are open now. Details on the program and tickets for the community program are available at
www.tmchoir.org/conducting-mentoring-program. For more information about TMChoir’s educational initiatives, visit www.tmchoir.org.
About Jean-Sébastien Vallée
Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a renowned Canadian-American conductor, scholar, and pedagogue known for his expertise in vocal, choral, and orchestral repertoires. With a career spanning over several decades, Vallée has conducted numerous ensembles across North America, Europe, and Asia, and has prepared choruses for some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras including the Chicago and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, l’Orchestre
symphonique de Montréal, and the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa.
Dr. Vallée is Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the renowned 160-voice Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the professional Toronto Mendelssohn Singers. In addition,Jean-Sébastien is Full Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, and Coordinator of the Conducting & Ensembles Area at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. He has previously served as the Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and was on the choral faculty of the University of Redlands. Dr. Vallée holds degrees from Laval University, Sherbrooke University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a doctorate in conducting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Vallée’s recordings have been broadcast internationally and include Remember (ATMA, 2024), Distance (ATMA, 2021), Requiem (ATMA, 2018 – requiems by Fauré and Duruflé), and Lux (ATMA, 2017). His recent and upcoming engagements include concerts at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, concerts with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and a performance at Carnegie Hall with Distinguished Concerts International New York.
About the TMChoir
The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMChoir) is proud to be one of Canada’s oldest, largest, and best-known choral organizations. The choir presented its first concert on January 15, 1895, as part of Massey Hall’s inaugural season, and has been a leader in choral music in Canada ever since, commissioning works by Canadian composers, and presenting world andCanadian premières. The choir also regularly performs and records with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In May 2021, Jean-Sébastien Vallée was named as Artistic Director, only the eighth conductor in TMChoir’s 130-year history.
Through its performances, educational programs, and community engagement, TMChoir aspires to introduce its audiences to choral masterworks from the past and present—and make both renowned and lesser-known pieces available, accessible, and inspirational to all.
The TMChoir includes a core of professional singers and more than 130 auditioned and experienced volunteer choristers. The smaller professional ensemble, the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, was created to deliver more intimate repertoire in a variety of non-traditional venues. This 130th anniversary season includes a commercial recording Remember: 130 Years of Canadian Choral Music, by ATMA Classique, and a recording with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and Orchestre symphonique de Québec celebrating the late composer Jacques Hétu.
