Page 25 - Susquehanna Chorale 40th Anniversary Book

Linda L. Tedford: A Biography
Linda L. Tedford, Artistic Director, Founder, and Conductor of the Susquehanna Chorale, has dedicated her life to creating and nurturing a culture of choral excellence that has enriched the lives of singers, audience members, and the surrounding community for forty years. As one of her singers stated, “To sing under Linda’s direction is to be forever changed as a singer and as a person. She inspires
not only with her musical precision and extraordinary teaching abilities, but also by evoking a deep sense of who we are as human beings when we sing.”
A native of the Philadelphia area, Linda studied vocal performance at Covenant College in Tennessee.
She earned a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Temple University, studying with the renowned conductor Robert Page, who became her lifelong friend and mentor. Linda pursued additional study at Westminster Choir College and worked with prominent conductors Robert Shaw, Gregg Smith, and Dale Warland. While at Temple, Linda led the choir at a local church where she met her husband, Mark, a student
at Westminster Seminary. Now retired from a career
in ministry, Mark has sung tenor in Linda’s choirs all his adult life. Linda and Mark have three adult children, Jeffrey, (Sasha), Laurie, (Garrett), and David, (Leah) and delight in spending time with their ten grandchildren.
Linda founded the Susquehanna Chorale in 1981, and under her leadership the group quickly achieved national recognition for musical excellence, a signature sound often described as a “velvet blend,” and consummate professionalism. Since that founding year the Chorale has performed at regional and state conventions of
the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)
and for the Legislature and Governor of Pennsylvania, premiered Bob Chilcott’s Chautauqua Requiem
at the Chautauqua Institute in New York, and has appeared in several European venues with a tour of Krakow and Vienna planned for the summer of 2022.
Her work is featured in over sixteen professionally produced recordings, and the Chorale performs regularly with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra.
In 1994, Linda and the Chorale received Chorus America’s most prestigious award, The Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence, becoming the first volunteer choir to be recognized with this honor. She was the 2011 recipient of ACDA-PA’s Elaine Brown Award for Choral Excellence for her outstanding lifelong work in the choral art. In 2013, she received Theatre Harrisburg’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the Capital Region.” In 2018 she received a “Citation
Enriching Lives Through Song
Best wishes from Dale Warland
Italian Lake, 2021
Howard and Elma Heckler, first donors who shared the dream of the Susquehanna Chorale
from the PA House of Representatives” recognizing her retirement as Director of Choral Activities at Messiah College, as well as her overall contributions to the choral arts throughout her distinguished career.
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EDUCATION
• 1969 B.M. Vocal Performance, Covenant College • 1973 M.M. Choral Conducting, Temple University
PERSONAL
• Married Mark Tedford, 1974
• Three Children: Jeffrey, Laurie, and David • Ten Grandchildren
PROFESSIONAL
• Founded Susquehanna Chorale, 1981
• Conductor & Artistic Director, 1981–present
• Founded Susquehanna Youth Chorale, 1989
• Conductor, Susquehanna Youth Chorale, 1989–1999
• Founded Susquehanna Children’s Chorale, 1992
• Founded Susquehanna Young Women’s Chorale, 2007
• Founded Susquehanna Preparatory Choir, 2007
• Joined Faculty at Messiah College 1994
• Conductor, Concert Choir, 1994–2018
• Conductor, Choral Arts Society, 1998–2018
• Conductor, Chamber Singers, 2003-2018
• Conductor, Men’s Ensemble, 2004-2018
• Director of Choral Activities at Messiah College, 2005-2018