Dr. John Wilson

Introducing the Artistic Director of Riverside Choral Society!

Now in his inaugural season with Riverside Choral Society, Dr. John Wilson is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities in the School of Fine & Performing Arts at SUNY New. Prior to this appointment, he served as the choral director at Bridgewater-Raritan High School for seventeen years, where his choirs developed a reputation for excellence. The BRHS Symphonic Choir was notably featured as a performing choir at the 2020 ACDA Eastern Division Conference in Rochester, NY.

Dr. Wilson’s ensembles have performed at major venues in the New York/New Jersey area under the direction of James Jordan, Amanda Quist, Alan Raines, Lee Nelson, and Andrew Megill, a notable example being a performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 in March of 2018 at Princeton University Chapel conducted by Ryan Brandau.

John was the director of the Westminster Community Choir, the resident choral ensemble of the Westminster Conservatory, from 2014-2017. He also served as an Associate Director at the Princeton Girlchoir organization between 2015-2018, where he conducted the Cantoresensemble. This ensemble was featured in a recording of Steven Sametz’s A Child’s Requiem in 2015 which was led by the composer.

From 2014-2019, John was on the faculty of the Summer High School Vocal Institute faculty at Westminster Choir College, where he conducted the Men’s Ensemble and taught a primer in conducting. Additionally, between 2018 and 2023, he conducted several all-state choirs: the New Jersey All-State Junior High SATB chorus, the Georgia All-State Middle Treble chorus, the CJMEA Region Treble Chorus, and the Virginia All-State Middle School Treble chorus. He continues to be in-demand as a guest conductor and clinician.

Dr. Wilson has taught undergraduate courses in conducting and music education at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, where he earned his masters and doctorate degrees in choral conducting under the guidance of RCS Director Emeritus Dr. Patrick Gardner. In 2020-2021, Dr. Wilson had the privilege of leading the Rutgers University Choir. John is the most recent past-president of the New Jersey chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, and coordinated the summer conference in 2023.

RCS is extremely excited to be welcoming a conductor of John’s experience who is also so highly respected in the broader choral directing community!

Header Image by Danny Bristoll Photography