Young ’23 Appointed Artistic Director and Conductor for Valley Chorale
Drew Young ’23 (Master of Music in Conducting) was recently appointed artistic director and conductor for the Valley Chorale of Front Royal, a choral ensemble that has been singing in the Shenandoah Valley for more than 50 years.
“I am thrilled to join the Valley Chorale as its new artistic director and conductor,” said Young. “Over the years and through several permutations, this organization has been a cherished part of the northern Shenandoah Valley community for more than five decades. I’m honored to continue its legacy while bringing new ideas and further expanding our reach to audiences across the region.”
A native of Orlando, Florida, Young has performed as a professional vocalist for many performing arts ensembles, including the renowned Bach Festival Society of Winter Park as well as for the HBO National Concert tour of “Game of Thrones: Live in Concert” under the baton of renowned composer and conductor Ramin Djawadi. Young is currently a guest artist at the prestigious Des Moines Choral Festival in Iowa.
“Our decision to bring Drew on board was enthusiastically unanimous,” said Valley Chorale Board President David Freese. “His credentials as a musician and conductor are superb, and the energy he brings is absolutely infectious. We can’t wait to embark on our 2022/23 season with Drew at the helm and for our audiences to join us at our yuletide concerts in December.”
Young holds a Bachelor of Music in voice performance and conducting from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. In addition to being an accomplished professional vocalist, Young is an experienced choral conductor, currently serving as the assistant director of music at Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, Virginia. He also is associate director of Shenandoah Voices, one of Shenandoah Conservatory’s choral ensembles.
The Valley Chorale, originally known as the Front Royal Oratorio Society, was established in 1962. Singers are non-paid and selected by audition. The chorale is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization supported by both private and public funds, including the town of Front Royal, Marion Park Lewis Foundation, Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Individuals interested in being a part of the Valley Chorale may contact the organization via thevalleychorale.org, its Facebook page or email at frontroyalsings@yahoo.com.
