The Wilton Singers will begin its 33rd season with a new director — Kevin Cotellese — a member of the music faculty at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. He will make his directing debut with the singing group’s December performances:
- The Annual Holiday Feast, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4-5;
- The Community Holiday Sing, Sunday, Dec. 13.
“We are privileged to have Kevin Cotellese lead the Wilton Singers, and he enhances our abilities as a group, both in artistic performance and in our mission to support and expand choral music in our community,” said Alison Conroy, president of the group.
The Wilton Singers is a community singing group providing an outlet for adult participation in ensemble singing while supporting the Wilton High School choral music program. Since its founding in 1983, The Wilton Singers has awarded more than $60,000 in scholarships to graduating Wilton High School choral students. Members hail from more than a dozen area towns, including Bethel, Danbury, Fairfield, New Canaan, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Shelton, Stamford, Waterbury, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.
Its December programs will take place at the Wilton Episcopal and Presbyterian Church Complex, 48 New Canaan Road.
Cotellese has been on the music faculty at Fairfield Ludlowe High School since it opened in 2003, where he conducts Concert Choir, Women’s Choir, Chamber Choir, and A Cappella group, while also teaching music theory, piano, and voice. Under his direction, the school’s ensembles quickly developed an excellent reputation and were invited to perform locally for the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, the annual Relay for Life, Rockappella, and at the state level for the Connecticut Arts Administrator’s Association, and Connecticut Association of Boards of Education.
Since 2004, Cotellese has been the concert choir conductor for the Fairfield County Children’s Choir. During his tenure, the choirs have enjoyed successful performances with the Norwalk Symphony, Fairfield County Chorale, Norwalk Civic Orchestra and most recently, a Carnegie Hall performance with the “Crossing Borders” Irish Orchestra.
Prior to moving to Connecticut, Cotellese served three years at the Academy of Music, where he worked for the Opera Company of Philadelphia as assistant to the chorus master, and orchestra manager. He earned his bachelor of science degree in music education from West Chester University, and a master of music degree in choral conducting from Temple University where he was a graduate assistant to Alan Harler.
Information:WiltonSingers.org.