New Choral Director

07/20/06

Belton, Texas - John W. McLean, Jr. has been named associate professor of music and director of choral activities and conducting at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

McLean will begin his responsibilities in the fall in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.  He will conduct the UMHB Concert Choir and the University Chamber Singers.  He will also serve as the conductor of the Bell Civic Chorale at the university.  McLean also serves as Director of Music Ministries at Austin Avenue United Methodist Church in Waco.

McLean is a vocal performance honors graduate from Simpson College, Professor McLean received his Masters degree in vocal performance & conducting from UT-Austin, and is now in the final stages of completing the DMA in Conducting at UT.

He has served as the Conductor of the Waco Symphony Chorus, Music Director of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin, Cover Conductor/Chorus Master of the Des Moines Metro Opera, and Asst. Conductor of the Austin Choral Union & its Chamber Ensemble. Additionally, he has guest conducted the Oakland Symphony (CA), Waco Symphony (TX), and the Kensington Symphony Orchestras.  He has also sung professionally with Des Moines Metro Opera, Berkeley Lyric Opera, the Joe Liebling Singers (CA), Washington Chamber Singers (DC), Paul Hill Chorale (DC), Oakland Symphony Chorus, and the Austin Choral Union.

Mr. McLean most recently served as assistant director of choral activities at Baylor University, where he conducted the University Concert Choir, the University Women's Chorus, and frequently the Baylor Choral Union. In 2000-01, John was honored as Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year by the Baylor Student Congress, and in 2002, recognized by the Baylor Alumni Association as one of the University's ‘Great Teachers'.  He has been the Director of Choirs at Bennett College (NC), taught at the University of Texas at Austin, Houston-Tillotson University (TX), Simpson College (IA), and the University of California-Berkeley. McLean was also Director of the Young Musicians Program at UC Berkeley, Music Director of the Oakland Youth Chorus, and the Berkeley Youth Orchestra.

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