Mendelssohn Choir Of Pittsburgh Appoints Daniel Singer As New Music Director

The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (MCP) has announced the appointment of Daniel Singer as its new Robert Page Music Director. Having spent over a decade conducting with The Cleveland Orchestra Choruses, among a variety of musical pursuits, Singer brings a wealth of experience, creativity and passion for choral music to his new role with MCP.
 
At 115 years in operation, MCP is the city's most celebrated chorus. The choir's more than 120 singers are everyday community members from diverse backgrounds and professions who give generously of their time and talent to create powerful, unexpected, and deeply moving moments of musical discovery.

Earlier this year, following the departure of Matthew Mehaffey after his seven-season tenure as Robert Page Music Director, MCP launched a national search for a successor. "We auditioned competitive candidates to fill the role, and the entire search committee was impressed by Daniel's achievements, expertise, and creativity,” said Guy Leonard, president of MCP's Board of Directors and chair of the Music Director Search Committee. “Thanks to his extensive conducting experience with The Cleveland Orchestra Choruses, he is well-equipped to continue cultivating our longstanding musical partnership with Manfred Honeck and the PSO.” 

He adds, “We look forward to seeing how his commitment to educational outreach and desire to encourage more participation in the choral arts will deepen MCP's impact in the Pittsburgh community."

Singer joined The Cleveland Orchestra choral conducting staff in 2012 and has served  as Assistant Director of Choruses and Director of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus since 2017. He prepared choruses to perform under the batons of acclaimed orchestral conductors and alongside world-renowned musicians. Meanwhile, as chorus director for Cleveland's Contemporary Youth Orchestra, he readied singers to perform alongside rock icons Melissa Etheridge and Tommy Shaw.

He has also taught music to high school and college students; performed professionally with Quire Cleveland, Apollo's Fire (Cleveland), the Lakeside Singers (Chicago), and as a baritone soloist in recitals and orchestral performances; and worked as an arranger and composer, writing for choral and instrumental groups throughout the United States. 

Singer is no stranger to Pittsburgh, having visited the city frequently over the past decade. “My husband is a violinist, and he lived in Pittsburgh and performed here often before we met,” Singer says. “I've come into town to visit friends and see the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and I've become enamored with the city.”

He notes that former MCP music directors Betsy Burleigh and the late Robert Page also conducted with The Cleveland Orchestra Choruses. “There's a lot of shared tradition between the two cities, and I'm excited to see not only what I can bring from my experience, but also what I can learn here in Pittsburgh.” 

As he dives into his first season with the MCP, Singer looks forward to exploring new artistic possibilities. “It was clear during my audition process that this chorus is open to seeing where we can go next,” he notes. “In an organization with such a rich history, it's encouraging that the tone is not, 'Stick to the way it's always been,' but rather, 'Take the reins and see what happens.'” In addition to getting to know the community within MCP, he's also invested in learning “how we, as musicians, can serve the larger community.”

He'll soon begin preparing MCP's singers for 2023-'24 performances with Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO), including Brahms' Requiem and Beethoven's Ninth. “I can't think of a better piece to start with than Brahms' Requiem. From a vocal perspective, it has technical depth I'm excited for us to work on, but it's also so deeply moving,” he says. “And Beethoven's Ninth has an uplifting quality that is especially poignant coming out of the pandemic. These are great pieces to help me get to know the chorus and our partnership with the PSO.”

Additionally, he's looking forward to the choir's self-produced spring concert, with a repertoire he hopes will “future-proof” the chorus. “These are incredibly talented singers,” he says, “so I'm selecting works that will expand their boundaries even further and prepare them for any challenges our artistic partners could bring to the table.” 

Critically acclaimed as one of the finest choruses in the country, the 115-year-old Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (MCP) is re-inventing choral music for the 21st century. MCP singers are everyday community members from diverse backgrounds and professions who give generously of their time and talent to create powerful, unexpected, and deeply moving moments of musical discovery. Composed of more than 120 singers singers, the Choir performs both with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and in its own concerts, and it fosters the next generation of choral singers through the Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.  More info: https://www.themendelssohn.org

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