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Music Director Steven Finch
In September 2008, Steven Finch will begin his 25th
year as Music Director and Conductor of the Huntington Choral Society. He has conducted the Choral Society in concerts of
a wide and varied repertoire, from oratorio to evenings of opera and cabaret, and from medieval carols to a major premiere
of a contemporary choral work. Under his preparation, the chorus has performed in Carnegie Hall with the Opera Orchestra of
New York, and with the New York Virtuosi at the Tilles Center. In May 2008, the HCS performed the premiere of Harmonies of
the World: A Mass for our Time which was conceived and directed by Steven Finch. The program consisted of music
from many cultures and eras including Bernstein, Bach, Gregorian chant, the African Missa Luba, the Misa Criolla, Rachmaninoff's
Vespers, the Gospel Mass and more. It featured Harmonic Chant with David Hykes performing his own compositions and indigenous
instruments such as the didjeridu and Tibetan crystal singing bowls.In addition to being a choral conductor, his diverse musical
background includes orchestral conducting and solo performances as a tenor. Mr. Finch is Music Director of St. John's
Church in Cold Spring Harbor, and Director of Choirs at Huntington High School, where he conducts the Concert Choir, Chamber
Choir, and Jazz Choir, as well as teaching Music and Technology, a course he developed.
An expert in choral performance
practices, Mr. Finch conducts two series of Bach cantata performances each year, one at St. John's Church and the other
in Aspen, Colorado. He has been conductor of the Ars Nova Chamber Ensemble in Syracuse and the Washington University Civic
Chorus in St. Louis, was a Fellow of the Aston Magna Academy in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, was adjunct professor at
Maryville College (Missouri), and for several years, worked with student choral conductors at the Julliard School. For many
years, he was on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival, where he prepared choruses for major performances, taught a class
on the oratorio and conducted contemporary choral works.
Mr. Finch received his bachelor's degree from Hamilton
College, his master's degree with honors in voice from Ithaca College, where he was elected to the society of Pi Kappa
Lambda. He completed doctoral studies in choral conducting and performance practices at Washington University, where he worked
with Nicholas McGegan and Trevor Pinnock. He also studied at Westminster Choir College with Robert Shaw.
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