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The American conductor, organist, harpsichordist and music teacher, John Finney, obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music (1978); and Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from the Boston Conservatory,
For decades, Boston College music programs have benefited from John Finney's skills as educator, musician, and conductor. He has been Director of the 160-voice University Chorale of Boston College since 1993; and has been the conductor of the Boston College Symphony Orchestra since 1999. Under his direction, the University Chorale has performed throughout the Boston area and in a number of the world's major cities including New York City, Dublin, Madrid, Prague, Vienna and Rome. He has conducted the Boston College Symphony Orchestra in performances of many major symphoic works, including L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Dvorak's "New World" Symphony and Copland's Lincoln Portrait. In November 2012 he conducted the University Chorale and the Boston College Symphony Orchestra in two standing-room-only performances of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. In March 2013 he was proud to conduct both the University Chorale and the Boston College Symphony Orchestra in Boston's Symphony Hall, as part of the celebratory concert in observance of the 150th anniversary of Boston College.
John Finney has been Chorusmaster of the world-renowned Handel and Haydn Society in Boston since 1990, occupying the Cabot Family Chorusmaster Chair, and was named Associate Conductor in 1992. He has directed many Handel and Haydn Society performances at New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall and Symphony Hall, including George Frideric Handel's Messiah at Symphony Hall in 1997 and 2004, and sold-out performances of A Bach Christmas at Jordan Hall in 2010 and 2012.
Since his appointment in 1987, John Finney has directed the Heritage Chorale in Framingham musical pursuits with the same vitality, versatility, and skill that he's demonstrated in all his varied professional activities. He has conducted the Chorale in acclaimed performances of major choral works, including Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah, G.F. Handel's Israel in Egypt, L.v. Beethoven's Mass in C, Orff's Carmina Burana, and the Requiems of W.A. Mozart, Johannes Brahms, G. Verdi, Gabriel Fauré and Maurice Duruflé, as well as in Pops programs of lighter music each concert season. He has brought unique musical experiences to the MetroWest area. As recently as March 2015, in a collaboration with the celebrated bluegrass ensemble Monroe Crossing, he led the Chorale in Carol Barnett’s The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass. In November of 2015, he produced another collaborative program, this time with the internationally acclaimed VOICES Boston in the performance of a 70th Birthday Tribute to the English composer John Rutter. He has directed the Heritage Chorale during its three international concert tours, to Europe in July 2010 (with concerts in Prague and Vienna), to Canada in July 2012 (with concerts in Montréal and Québec City), and to Ireland in July 2015 (with concerts in Galway, Derry, and Dublin).
Beginning in 1984, John Finney has been Organist and Director of Music at the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church. Since July 2013, he has also performed as conductor and principal keyboardist for the acclaimed Blue Hill Bach Festival in Blue Hill, Maine.
John Finney has concertized extensivey throughout the USA and Europe as organist and harpsichordist. He has been a member of the organ faculty of the Boston Conservatory and taught for 6 years at the Academy for Early Music in Bressanone, Italy. In August 1999, when he was appointed the conductor of the Boston College Symphony Orchestra, John Finney was given the title of Distinguished Artist-In-Residence at Boston College. In 2021 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Choral Arts New England in recognition of his work as a Choral Conductor in New England. |
