VocalEssence, the Minnesota choir led by Philip Brunelle, has hired its first assistant artistic director in its 44 year history, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu.

Wondemagegnehu comes from Orlando, Florida where he served as director of choral activities at Freedom High School.

He holds a degree in choral conducting and vocal performance from Florida State University and a bachelor of music degree in vocal performance from the University of Memphis.

During
his tenure at Florida High School, Wondemagegnehu was named Orange
County Public School Teacher of the Year and received the Macy’s
National Gift of Teaching Award.

In a press announcement Philip
Brunelle stated “We are fortunate and honored to have Tesfa on board
with VocalEssence. From the moment I saw his audition video, I found him
very inspiring — you can just tell how passionate he is about choral
music. I’m looking forward to working closely with him on all aspects of
artistic direction — from community engagement, to fundraising and
marketing — and, of course, conducting.”

He will join VocalEssence in late summer, at the start of the organization’s 45^th season.