STANLEY J. THURSTON is Director of Music Ministries at the historic Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, DC, Founder and Artistic Director of the Heritage Signature Chorale in Washington, Artist-in-Residence at Washington National Cathedral, and Artistic Director Emeritus of the Washington Performing Arts Society choirs. A graduate of Morgan State University and the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, Mr. Thurston is well known as a classically trained musician of extraordinary range and depth as a conductor, pianist, organist, composer, and arranger.
As conductor, he has led performances at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, the US Capitol, Strathmore, Carter Barron Amphitheater, DAR Constitution Hall, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Washington National Cathedral, National Presbyterian Church, and Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Mr. Thurston has collaborated as conductor with artists such as Kathleen Battle, Denyce Graves, Thomas Hampson, Kiri te Kanawa, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Canadian Brass, Ramsey Lewis, and Wynton Marsalis.
Thurston has appeared as guest conductor with the National Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, Soulful Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Detroit Civic Symphony, and the Prince Georges Philharmonic. He made his European conducting debut with Romania’s Opera Constanta, was principal conductor of Municipal Opera of Baltimore, and opera conductor with Washington, DC’s In Series. Choruses under his direction have performed with the National Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Baltimore Festival Orchestra, Joffrey Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the Royal Ballet. Thurston’s orchestral arrangements have been performed by the orchestras of Baltimore, New Jersey, and the National Symphony.
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