Chorus of Tenors + Basses

Conductor

Dr. Kevin McDonald

Dr. Kevin J. McDonald brings 24 years of teaching experience and a broad and diverse musical background to his position as the Conductor of the H+H Young Men’s Chorus. Currently, McDonald is in his 14th year as Director of Choral Activities at Wellesley High School, where he instructs 320 students in choral music in five curricular choral ensembles. Under his direction, ensembles consistently earn gold ratings at state choral festivals and have performed in the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association gold medal showcase Stars at Symphony Hall and the Massachusetts Association of Jazz Educators gold medal Showcase at the Boston Hatch Shell. McDonald is an active guest conductor and has conducted honor choirs throughout New England and Idaho. 2017-2018 conducting appointments include The Western European Honor Choir in Düsseldorf, Germany and the New Hampshire All State Jazz Choir. McDonald frequently presents sessions at state and regional conferences on topics such as Y Sing: Recruitment and Retention of Men in the Choral Program, American Song: How Jazz Choir Can Enhance the School Choral Program, and Using Descriptive Terminology in the Choral Rehearsal. McDonald is the Director of Youth Music at the Wellesley Congregational Church, where he conducts over 60 singers in the Youth Choirs and leads the Village Brass Ensemble. Dr. McDonald is a recipient of the NAfME Professional Achievement Award for dedication to music education and the Springfield Chamber of Commerce teaching excellence Award. He received his B.M. in music education from the University of New Hampshire, M.M. in Low Brass Performance from the University of Idaho, and his DMA in Music Education from The Hartt School, University of Hartford.

kmcdonald@handelandhaydn.org

Collaborative Pianist

Andrew Mattfeld

Originally from the suburbs of New York City, conductor, pianist, and tenor Andrew David Mattfeld now spends his time living, teaching, and performing in an around the Boston area. His early training in music consisted of intensive voice and piano, studying under Morris Borenstien of The Julliard School, and soprano Eileen Mackintosh. He holds both Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Ithaca College School of Music concentrating in Vocal and Piano Performance as a student of Patrice Pastore, David Parks, Charis Dimaras, and Karl Lutchmayer. Andrew was a chorister with the Ithaca College Choir for 6 years and is a founding member of UNYC (Upstate New York Chorus).  His conducting studies were with Lawrence Doebler, Janet Galván, and Jeffery Meyer. Andrew performed at the Adriatic Chamber Music Festival in Bonefro, Italy as a solo and collaborative pianist, and as a tenor soloist for the 2012 Salzburg Festival.

Andrew has presented lectures, recitals, and concerts in Ithaca, Boston, and around the US and Europe, performing voice and piano recitals, as well as collaborations between area orchestras, chamber ensembles, choruses, and soloists, as a soloist himself or conductor. Andrew made his international conducting debut at the Louis Lewondowski Festival in Berlin, Germany in 2014. An intensive academic, his Graduate thesis on the development of Cabaret culture as a form of political resistance in NAZI Germany was the basis for a Fulbright to examine the current state of the art form in Berlin. He has participated in Masterclasses as a singer, pianist, collaborator, and conductor with many notable performers and teachers such as Sharon Sweet, Penelope Bitzas, Lindsey Christiansen, and the violinist Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg.

Mr. Mattfeld currently lives in Boston MA where he is on Faculty at Northeastern University where he has a large studio of both singers and pianists. He is formerly on Voice and Piano Faculty at the Fay School in Southborough, MA. He serves as Director of Music Ministries and Organist at First United Methodist in Melrose, MA, and Director of Music and Organist with the Central Reform Temple at Emmanuel Church. He has been a chorister with the Back Bay Chorale, The Metropolitan Chorale, is a former Teaching Fellow with the Boston Children’s Chorus, and Assistant Conductor for The Zamir Chorale of Boston.

Teaching Assistant

Nathaniel Smith

This is Nathaniel Smith's fourth season on the HHYC faculty. When he is not at HHYC, he works as a music educator in the Arlington Public schools teaching general music and choir at Ottoson Middle School. Mr. Smith describes having been "into music" since the fourth grade. He sang with the HHYC Chorus of Tenors + Basses in high school and was also a High School Soloist. In his words:

"HHYC really opened the door for me when I was auditioning for college. It allowed me to blossom into the singer and educator I am today. In my high school, I joined every group at my school for singing. I then moved on to study music education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I am so excited to work with new youth and it has been a blast working alongside my mentors on the faculty of HHYC."