dominickdiorio
conductor composer
two letter D inside a blue circle

Dominick receives NCCO's inaugural Distinguished Service Award

On Friday November 10th at NCCO10, the National Collegiate Choral Organization's 10th biennial conference at Morehouse College in Atlanta, the NCCO Executive Board honored Dominick with the inaugural Distinguished Service Award, for "his passionate leadership through the pandemic and for his years of dedication to the choral art through NCCO."

upcoming events

saturday, december 9 2023

A FEAST OF CAROLS

Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia - Dominick DiOrio, artistic director & conductor

Dominick DiOrio leads the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia in their beloved holiday tradition: A FEAST OF CAROLS. Featuring perennial performances by organist Andrew Kotylo, pianist Ting Ting Wong, and the majestic Timberdale Brass, this year's performance will also include a new commissioned world premiere work by composer Marques L.A. Garrett for chorus, brass, and organ, as well as premieres of DiOrio's four newest Postcard Carols.

saturday, december 9 2023

A FEAST OF CAROLS

Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia - Dominick DiOrio, artistic director & conductor

Dominick DiOrio leads the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia in their beloved holiday tradition: A FEAST OF CAROLS. Featuring perennial performances by organist Andrew Kotylo, pianist Ting Ting Wong, and the majestic Timberdale Brass, this year's performance will also include a new commissioned world premiere work by composer Marques L.A. Garrett for chorus, brass, and organ, as well as premieres of DiOrio's four newest Postcard Carols.

thursday, december 14 2023

The Glorious Sound of Christmas

The Philadelphia Orchestra (William Eddins) & Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia (Dominick DiOrio)

Beloved since the iconic The Glorious Sound of Christmas® recording with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra was released in 1962, acclaimed guest conductor William Eddins leads this rousing celebration, featuring the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia and narrator Charlotte Blake Alston. Tickets and more information.

about dominick

dominick smiling with arms crossed

Dominick DiOrio is a conductor and composer who has won widespread acclaim for his contributions to American music. He has been recognized with The American Prizes in both Choral Composition (2014) and Choral Performance (2019, with NOTUS). In July 2020, he became the 14th Artistic Director & Conductor of the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia, now in its 150th season, where he has had the honor of preparing the singers for performances with The Philadelphia Orchestra.

DiOrio has conducted ensembles around the world, from the Houston Chamber Choir and Choral Arts Initiative in the USA to Allmänna Sången and Ars Veritas abroad. A strong advocate for new music, he has he has premiered over 50 original works, and he has collaborated with Paquito D’Rivera, Melissa Dunphy, Marques L.A. Garrett, Han Lash, Caroline Shaw, Moira Smiley, and Christopher Theofanidis. Committed to diversity and inclusion in artistic programming, DiOrio proudly programs works that reflect the diversity of our world.

As a composer, DiOrio has been hailed for a keenly intelligent, evocative style, which shows “a tour de force of inventive thinking and unique colour” (Gramophone). His over 50 published works have appeared at major venues around the world including the Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. He writes music for singers and players of all ages and experiences, and his recent commissioning partners include the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, the Children’s Chorus of Washington, the Worcester Youth Orchestras, The Choral Arts Society of Washington, and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band.

Since 2012, he has been a member of the choral conducting faculty at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he serves as Professor of Music and leads the select, new music vocal ensemble NOTUS, one of only 24 choirs in the world selected by competitive audition to perform at the 12th World Symposium on Choral Music in Auckland, New Zealand, before it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

DiOrio recently completed a term as president of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (2018-2022). For his leadership during the pandemic, he was honored with NCCO's inaugural Distinguished Service Award. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from the Yale School of Music, as well as the MMA and MM in conducting from Yale and the BM in composition summa cum laude from Ithaca College.

press

13 october 2023
Mendelssohn Chorus opens 150th season with a prayer for peace

For its 150th season, the classical choral ensemble will perform a program of anti-war, anti-violence music.

31 october 2023
Aiming for center mass: Singing into the message with Resonance Ensemble

From the opening statement of Dominick DiOrio’s You Do Not Walk Alone I was transported to sonic memories of the Midwest American Lutheran choral tradition and my jaw slackened and shoulders dropped. I submit this as a compliment to composer and performers and programming. But the beautiful text and embracing music can speak to anyone, to any time.

recent news

NOTUS @ NCCO10 National Conference

NOTUS has been selected to be one of the performing ensembles for the National Collegiate Choral Organization's 10th Biennial Conference at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia: "Coming Home." DiOrio and NOTUS will present a program of music titled "America in Progress," which includes selections from NOTUS' recent album What Is Ours. Featured composers include Reena Esmail, Moira Smiley, IU alumni Kahan Taraporevala and Alex Berko, and DiOrio's own A Chain is Broken. Read more about NCCO10.

NOTUS second album release: "What Is Ours"
What Is Ours

The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music new music chamber chorus NOTUS recently released its second album, “What Is Ours: Music for an America in Progress,” on Navona Records. The recording is available on numerous digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. Learn more.

Fetter & Air Release with Navona Records
Fetter & Air Album Cover

An emotional and collaborative tour de force, Dominick DiOrio’s FETTER & AIR presents the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia’s own words set to a haunting soundscape that explores each member’s innermost hopes, fears, dreams, and desires. The massive undertaking is a skillful combination of 562 audio files comprising spoken word and singing by 61 chorus members, combined into a single piece by DiOrio and sound designer Justin “JG” Geller. The personal thoughts and interweaving arrangements create a raw expressiveness and intimacy, ultimately rendering a reminder of how our own stories echo within us.

Release date: January 28, 2022. Learn more and listen here.

World Premiere Virtual Release: Moira Smiley "Wire You Here"
Wire You Here

Released today, August 6, 2020: the world premiere recording and virtual release of Wire You Here by singer, composer, song-collector, and IU alumnus Moira Smiley. Recorded individually during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the work focuses on the spoken words of thirteen Indiana University students as they create art and share their anxieties and hopes in a time of disconnection and upheaval. Featuring NOTUS and produced by Moira Smiley, IU Jacobs School faculty members Dominick DiOrio and D. James Tagg, and video designer Samantha Dowd. Watch the video.

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dominick smiling and looking out