Music Worcester Names Conductor and Educator Everett McCorvey 2026 Artist in Residence

Noted musician, conductor, impresario, and educator Dr. Everett McCorvey has been named Music Worcester's 2026 Artist in Residence.  He is founder and artistic director of the American Spiritual Ensemble, artistic director of the National Chorale, and Director of Opera at the University of Kentucky's College of Fine Arts, Lexington.

Dr. McCorvey led the American Spiritual Ensemble during Music Worcester's 2023-2024 Season at Assumption University's Curtis Performance Hall.  McCorvey said “I'm looking forward to spending the residency collaborating with a number of different music and service organizations in the area, bringing people together through music.”

Vocal excellence is a hallmark of Dr. McCorvey's work with professional choirs and with aspiring professional singers in concerts, masterclasses and workshops throughout the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. Over a span of more than 30 years, Dr. McCorvey has engaged vocalists and audiences in moving and dynamic experiences with his unique and committed interpretation of choral music of all genres. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, he received his degrees from the University of Alabama, including a Doctor of Musical Arts, and currently holds an Endowed Chair in Opera at the University of Kentucky, also serving as Professor of Voice.

“Securing Dr. Everett McCorvey as Music Worcester's next Artist in Residence has allowed me to witness some of the most invigorating and aspirational brainstorming concerning the organization's future since becoming Executive Director,” said Adrien Finlay. “His unique position as a champion of living composers and expert knowledge of works by American composers will provide an utterly new and unique lens for Music Worcester to connect with its community starting in January 2026 when he starts living in Worcester for weeks at a time.”

“Worcester has such a vibrant arts community,” McCorvey exclaimed. “I first noticed it a year ago when the American Spiritual Ensemble tour came to Worcester.  And, when I attended the first BACHtoberfest weekend of concerts last fall I was truly impressed with the level of participation both on the stage and in the audience.  I'm excited to be a part of this lively musical community and create special memories for all.”

Over the course of the residency, McCorvey will work with students in the Worcester Public Schools, the Worcester Chorus, the Worcester Children's Chorus, and Many Voices: Mechanics Hall Youth Singers.  In addition, he will collaborate with OpporTUNEity, the non-profit organization whose mission is to break the school-to-prison pipeline through transformative, music-based education programs while fostering stronger connections between post-secondary music programs and their communities.

Starting his professional career as a classical tenor, McCorvey has performed in many cities and theatres around the world including the Metropolitan Opera, the Kennedy Center, Aspen Music Festival, Radio City Music Hall, Birmingham Opera Theater, Teatro Comunale in Florence, Italy, and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, England.

Raised in the belief that every citizen in the country should find ways to give back to his or her community, city and country, Dr. McCorvey has been very active in his volunteer activities, working to keep the arts as a part of the civic conversation locally, regionally, and nationally.  He frequently sits as an advisory panelist and on-site reviewer for the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. and he has served on the Boards of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, National Opera Association,  and the Kentucky Arts Council.

Since 2012, Music Worcester has brought a focused emphasis to community engagement and educational programming to include visiting artist masterclasses and week-long residencies at Worcester Public Schools, as well as free admission to its performances through the Tickets to Opportunity Program. Previously, pianist Simone Dinnerstein and violinist Vijay Gupta have shared their time and talent with the community as Music Worcester's Artists in Residence.