Director Thomas Cunningham

Thomas Cunningham has been the director of the Manhattan Choral Ensemble since its founding in the fall of 2000. Mr. Cunningham and his co-founder Matt Laufer created the MCE to celebrate fellowship through singing, bringing together lovers of choral music to perform a wide-ranging repertoire with passion and a commitment to high musical standards.

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Following in the tradition of collegiate singing societies, the MCE presents an exciting variety of programs every year, from the greatest masterworks of the choral repertoire to sublimely simple folk song settings, from ancient gems of the early Renaissance to newly created works of living composers. The MCE offers unaccompanied programs of a capella choral music and concerts featuring instrumental ensembles small and large.

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Mr. Cunningham is committed to the creation of new choral music and through the MCE's commissioning programs has premiered dozens of new works by some of New York City's most interesting composers, including Nico Muhly, Caleb Burhans, Victoria Bond, Patrick Castillo, Ricardo Llorca, Trevor Weston, Martha Sullivan, James Bassi, Rich Campbell, and George Andoniadis. Under his direction, the MCE won the 2016 ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Many of Mr. Cunningham's own compositions have also been premiered by the MCE.

 

Mr. Cunningham holds a master's degree in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where he has served as adjunct assistant professor of conducting, and a bachelor’s degree in Music from Yale University.

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In addition to the MCE, Mr. Cunningham was the founder and director of the Boston Choral Ensemble, and he has served as the director of the Dartmouth Chamber Singers and as the associate conductor of the Masterwork Chorus of New Jersey.