The Handel and Haydn Society has named Dr. Anthony Trecek-King a new resident conductor of the Handel and Haydn Society Chorus. Trecek-King will share the chorus responsibilities with Scott Allen Jarrett, applying his decades of experience in music conducting and education to one of the oldest consecutively running arts organizations in the United States.
“Anthony brings us a powerful combination of deep expertise and passion for his choral conducting work. We are honored to have him share his decades of experience with H+H,” said David Snead, president and CEO of the Handel and Haydn Society.
Trecek-King already has a deep musical legacy here in Boston. From 2007-2020, he served as artistic director of the Boston Children’s Chorus, where he applied his expertise in music education and his passion for diversity and inclusion in the arts. He’s also known for his role as host and coach for the Emmy-nominated GBH television series “Sing That Thing,” and he’s presented talks and performances for TEDx Boston about achieving social change through music.
Most recently for the Handel and Haydn Society, Trecek-King hosted the 2020 performance of Handel’s “Messiah for Our Time,” a collaboration between H+H and GBH. “Messiah” was one of the pieces performed when Handel and Haydn debuted in Boston in 1815. The uplifting message of the music remains ever relevant, and this performance utilized technology and the safety trappings of the pandemic to illustrate how important hopeful pieces of music like “Messiah” are in our current moment.
In his own work, Trecek-King also has championed a more equitable industry. In his “Skills Not Songs” workshop series, he teaches educators how to incorporate social justice and life skills into their classwork, rather than sticking solely to the notes on the page. These lessons aren’t just for working with children; they speak to the larger power of the arts and the importance of incorporating equity into that space. Trecek-King also conducts a Unitus Ensemble, a musical group devoted to uniting performers nationally for immersive, social-justice-oriented concerts.
The Handel and Haydn Society made steps in 2020 towards a more inclusive and comprehensive organization with the appointment of Reginald Mobley to a programming consultant position focused on equity. Trecek-King’s technical expertise and experience incorporating social issues into the musical platform will further bolster that mission. “Anthony will help bring new voices to H+H,” Snead says, “and ensure that the Chorus continues to achieve world-class performances for years to come.”
