John Leonard

Assistant Professor of Music

Director of Choirs

Director, College Choir

Director, College Chorale

Director, Women’s Ensemble

 

 

 

D.M. Choral Conducting, Indiana University
M.M. Choral Conducting, Temple University
B.M. Voice Performance, The University of Hartford
B.M. Music Education, The University of Hartford

John P. Leonard is Director of Choirs at The College of New Jersey where he conducts the College Choir, Women’s Ensemble and College Chorale. He also teaches choral conducting at TCNJ.  Dr. Leonard is in his first season as Artistic Director of Cantus Novus, an auditioned chamber choir based in Bucks County, PA.  He also serves as the R & S Chair for Youth and Student Activities for the New Jersey State Chapter of ACDA and is an active member of Chorus America and The National Collegiate Choral Organization.

Dr. Leonard recently completed his Doctorate in Choral Conducting at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where he taught undergraduate conducting and directed multiple ensembles. While in Bloomington, he served as chorus master for the IU Opera Theatre and as the musical director for the undergraduate opera workshop.  He also conducted a production of Gluck’s opera, Orfeo ed Euridice and Andrea Clearfield’s oratorio,The Golem Psalms. He is also an active professional tenor and is currently a core singer in the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia.

Dr. Leonard has held various conducting, solo and chorus contracts. He has served as the Conducting Apprentice with the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and Assistant Conductor of the SUNY Albany Chorale.  He has most recently performed as a professional singer and chorister with the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, Air Borne Recording Studios, Apollo’s Voice, and the Indianapolis Symphony.

Dr. Leonard holds B.M. degrees in both Voice and Music Education from The Hartt School of Music. His M.M. studies are from Westminster Choir College and Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music where he completed his Masters in Choral Conducting in 2005. While at Temple, he was the recipient of the Dr. Elaine Brown Tribute Award in recognition of his work with area choruses. Dr. Leonard has also completed further studies in conducting at the Eastman School of Music and as a Conducting Fellow with Chorus America.

Dr. Leonard has a great interest in new music and has premiered and performed new works by composers such as Andrea Clearfield, Matthew Peterson, Stephen Harms and Adam Hawes.