Artistic Staff

Thomas Colohan, Music Director

Thomas Colohan is regularly in demand as a conductor, teacher, and clinician on both the east and west coasts, and abroad. Since his appointment as Music Director of the Santa Clara Chorale, the group's subscriber base has doubled and the group has begun appearing with professional orchestras throughout the region. Mr. Colohan has conducted members of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the San Jose Symphony, the California Chamber Symphony, the Mission Chamber Orchestra, and the Richmond Symphony. Colohan also serves Director of Choral Activities at Santa Clara University. Under his leadership the choral program there has tripled in size, and the SCU choirs have begun performing major choral/orchestral works annually before sold out audiences in the Santa Clara Mission. The newly-formed SCU Chamber Singers are quickly gaining a reputation for excellence, and have been invited to perform at events and festivals throughout California.

Previously, Colohan served for six years as Founder and Artistic Director of the James River Singers in Richmond, VA, and as Assistant Conductor of the Master Chorale of Washington, in Washington DC. He has also sung professionally with the Washington Opera, the Washington Bach Consort, and the Master Chorale of Washington Chamber Singers. His teachers have included renowned choral musicians such as Robert Shaw, Helmut Rilling, Donald McCullough, and William Dehning. He holds a Master of Music in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Currently, Colohan also serves as Music Director for Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, California.