Canterbury Choral Society

Jonathan D. De Vries

CONDUCTOR ~ MUSIC EDUCATOR

​​Jonathan De Vries is the Artistic Director and Conductor of The Canterbury Choral Society. The 2023-2024 season marks his sixteenth year of collaboration with the Canterbury Choral Society and the ninth season of his leadership. 

Known as a singer’s conductor, Mr. De Vries’ conducting style is emotionally expressive and technically precise. He connects to his musicians and singers through genuine thoughtful gestures that provide a visual meaning to his musical intent. Drawing on his distinct set of skills, Mr. De Vries envisions each season of Canterbury's performances as an eclectic mix of performing the great masterworks of the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras, infused with music from the greatest composers of the 20th Century. New compositions and revivals of old works will also be combined with partnerships between youth choirs all around the city.
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In November 2017, he made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut leading 550 performers in Mahler’s monumental Eighth Symphony.  He also commissioned preeminent composer Rollo Dilworth to write a concert length work which celebrated the unique partnership between Canterbury and the many youth choirs it has performed with since its founding in 1952. The work Bound for Glory  was premiered at Carnegie Hall with the performance of Mahler. This five movement work includes the following individually published works: This Train is Bound for Glory, City Called Heaven, Going Home, Amazing Grace, No Ways Tired.

Mr. De Vries was the cover conductor for the January 2013 performance of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony at Carnegie Hall featuring over 700 performers and orchestra from across the New York region.  His collaboration with the Canterbury Choral Society and founder Charles Dodsley Walker began in 2008 with Langlais’ Missa Salve Regina, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in 2009 and Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit pour Noël in 2011.  Mr. De Vries is thrilled and honored to succeed Maestro Walker in leading the Canterbury Choral Society. 

Major Works Conducted:
Second Sacred Concert by Duke Ellington (May 2023)
Breaking the Barrier by Laura Jobin-Acosta (May 2023) *World Premiere
Judas Maccabeus, by George Frideric Handel ​(November 2022)
Choral Fantasy by Ludwig van Beethoven (May 2022)
Mass in E flat major by Franz Schubert (May 2022)
Requiem, KV 626 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (November 2021)
Lux Aeterna, by Morten Lauridsen (November 2021)
Messiah by George Frideric Handel ​(December 2o2o, April 2021)
Toward the Unknown Region by Ralph Vaughan Williams (March 2020)
Dona Nobis by Ralph Vaughan Williams (March 2020)
Sancta Civitas by Ralph Vaughan Williams (March 2020)
Piano Concerto in C  by Ralph Vaughan Williams (March 2020)
Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248, by J.S. Bach (November 2019)
Bound For Glory by Rollo Dilworth(May 2019)
Second Sacred Concert by Duke Ellington (May 2019)
Full Freedom by Nicholas White (May 2019)
Saul by George Frederic Handel (March 2019)
Oratorio di San Francesco by Adriano Adriani (November 2018) REVIVAL 
Mass in D Major by Antonín Dvořák (May 2018)
Ein Deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms (March 2018)
Piano Concerto No. 2 by Frédéric Chopin (March 2018)
Bound For Glory by Rollo Dilworth (November 18, 2017) *World Premiere
Symphony No. 8 in E flat by Gustav Mahler (November 18, 2017)
     CARNEGIE HALL DEBUT
​Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn (2017)
The Passion According to St. Matthew by J. S. Bach (2017)
Te Deum by Jean-Baptiste Lully (2016)
Requiem by Maruice Durufle (2016)
Gloria by Francis Poulenc (2016)
Piano Concerto No. 2 by Camille Saint-Saëns (2016)
Mass in B minor by J. S. Bach (2016)
Une Cantata de Noël by Arthur Honegger (2015) 
St. Nicolas by Benjamin Britten (2015)
Choral Fantasy by Ludwig van Beethoven (2015)
Mass in E flat major by Franz Schubert (2015)
Samson by George Frederic Handel (2015)
Hodie by Ralph Vaughan Williams (2014)
Piano Concerto No. 1 by Franz Liszt (2013)
Te Deum by Hector Berlioz (2013)​