MEET OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, EVERETT McCorvey
Dr. Everett McCorvey is celebrating his eleventh season as Artistic Director of the National Chorale, one of New York City’s leading professional choral organizations and a resident company at Lincoln Center.
A renowned conductor, educator, and advocate for vocal excellence, Dr. McCorvey has built a distinguished international career spanning more than three decades.
Vocal Excellence and Global Reach
Vocal excellence is the hallmark of Dr. McCorvey’s work. He has conducted and coached professional choirs and singers in concerts, masterclasses, and workshops across the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia—including performances in Poland, Austria, Italy, Japan, China, Brazil, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
His conducting style—dynamic, expressive, and deeply rooted in storytelling—has inspired audiences worldwide through interpretations of choral music across genres, from classical masterworks to contemporary compositions.
Founder of the American Spiritual Ensemble
Dr. McCorvey is the Founder and Music Director of the American Spiritual Ensemble, a professional vocal group of 24 singers dedicated to performing spirituals and works by African American composers.
Since its founding over 25 years ago, the Ensemble has performed more than 400 concerts, including 17 U.S. tours and 16 tours of Spain. In 2017, PBS featured the group in a nationally broadcast special, bringing its mission and music to millions of viewers.
Career and Performances
A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. McCorvey earned Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Alabama. His performance résumé includes appearances at some of the world’s most prestigious venues:
Metropolitan Opera, New York
Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
Aspen Music Festival
Radio City Music Hall, New York
Teatro Comunale, Florence, Italy
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, England
He has also performed extensively throughout Spain, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Austria, Japan, China, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, France, Portugal, Hungary, and Ireland.
Leadership and Community Service
Guided by his belief that every citizen should give back to their community, Dr. McCorvey has dedicated much of his life to arts advocacy.
He has served as a reviewer and panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and as a board member for:
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
National Opera Association
Kentucky Arts Council
He was also invited to serve as a jurist for the Opera for All Voices initiative, launched by San Francisco Opera and Santa Fe Opera, which identifies and promotes new works to attract diverse audiences to opera.
Academic Leadership
Dr. McCorvey holds an Endowed Chair in Opera Studies and serves as Professor of Voice at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. He has also served on the faculties of the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) and the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria.
Major Productions and Honors
In 2010, Dr. McCorvey served as Executive Producer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky—the largest equestrian event ever held in the United States. The NBC Sports broadcast reached an estimated 500 million viewers worldwide.
Personal Life and Philosophy
Dr. McCorvey is married to soprano Alicia Helm McCorvey, and they have three children. Reflecting on his work with the National Chorale, he shares:
“Celebrating 58 years of great choral singing with the National Chorale is indeed an honor and a privilege. It is my fervent hope that we can continue to sing, share, and experience the goodness of humanity through music—and learn more about one another through the arts.”