Berkshire Choral International Hires New Artistic Leadership Team 

Anthony Trecek-King and Sean Taylor will assume their new positions in September 2024

Founded in 1982, the Berkshire Choral International (BCI) has since supported 9,000 singers through its week-long choral music programs led by leading conductors across venues in the U.S. and Europe. This year, four summer workshops will be held in the U.S., and one in Vienna.

As of September 2024, Anthony Trecek-King and Sean Taylor will join BCI as Artistic Director and Director of Music, respectively. They will succeed current music director Frank Nemhauser, who is retiring in August 2024 after 38 seasons and will take on the honorary role of Music Director Emeritus.

Dr. Trecek-King serves as a Resident Conductor of the chorus with Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society, and has also worked with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, The Houston Chamber Choir, Seraphic Fire, and Roomful of Teeth. A graduate of the University of Nebraska, Florida State University, and Boston University, he holds degrees in cello performance, orchestral conducting, and choral conducting. 

As Artistic Director of BCI, Trecek-King will provide strategic direction and long-term artistic vision, plus advise on the annual programming and repertoire selection. Additionally, he will perform as part of BCI’s rotating guest conductor roster. 

Dr. Sean Taylor is currently Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where he conducts the Master Chorale and Chamber Singers. He is also conductor of the Valley Symphony Orchestra Chorale, artistic director of the Alium Spiritum vocal quartet, and director of traditional music at First Methodist Church in Harlingen.

Taylor has frequently served as a BCI faculty member over the past decade. As BCI’s Director of Music, Taylor will lead chorister education at all in-person programs, oversee artistic administration duties, and supervise music faculty and BCI’s Apprentice Program, of which he is an alumnus.

“I’m thrilled to join the team at Berkshire Choral International, where I will strive to continue our mission of broadening singers' horizons through musical and cultural exploration,” Trecek-King said in the press release. “I aim to build on the impactful legacy of Frank Nemhauser and others before me. Together, we'll leverage the transformative power of music to inspire and unify a new generation of singers.”

“Berkshire Choral International has been a cornerstone of my musical life for 17 years,” Taylor added. “Frank Nemhauser’s wit and wisdom inspired countless choristers, apprentices, faculty members, and conductors at BCI. As Director of Music, I look forward to being part of his legacy by inspiring musicians to bring their very best to BCI.”

“As a stellar musician and human, Frank has literally defined the essence of the Berkshire Choral experience,” commented Steven Smith, BCI’s President and CEO. “As we thought about his succession plan, expanding the artistic team will help ensure we can continue to deliver world-class programs to our amateur singers as well as plan and innovate for the future.

“We’re so excited to add Anthony and Sean to the team,” Smith continued. “Over the past three years BCI’s enrollment has grown by 30% and I know they will help us continue our expansion with new ideas, music, and connections as we reach the next generation of choral music singers.”