Finch Bio

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.