By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Independent has learned that James MacDonald, long-time director of the Elmhurst Choral Union, passed away on March 12. The fourth conductor in the ensembles history, Macdonald has conducted the Elmhurst Choral Union and Orchestra since 1998, widening the ensemble’s repertoire and appeal, according to the musicians who knew him so well.
“Elmhurst Choral Union would like to thank all those who have communicated with us, including many past singers and soloists, to express their condolences,” said ECU president Ed Miner. “Jim was an outstanding musician, a wonderful director, and a real friend to the entire choir.”
One person left the following sentiment on the ECU web site:
“Jim has been conductor, mentor, and true friend to ECU singers since his first concert in 1998, and guided us through a key time in our history. We are better singers, better musicians, and better human beings for having known him.”
Besides his work with the Elmhurst Choral Union, MacDonald was an Associate Professor of Music at Columbia College Chicago, where he recently served as Director of the Sherwood Community Music School. He had served as Associate Dean for Columbia’s School of Fine and Performing Arts for seven years, and as Associate Chair of the Music Department for two years.
MacDonald conducted for more than three decades, leading the West Suburban Symphony, the Westminster Chamber Orchestra, the Chicago Businessmen’s Orchestra, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Chicago, the James Chorale, and the Loop Group. He also served as Artistic Director of the Genesis Opera Group, and also conducted for the American Opera Group.
On the international stage, MacDonald conducted the Ho Chi Minh City Symphony in Vietnam; the Sochi, Karelia, and Congress Philharmonic Orchestras in Russia; the Ploiesti Symphony in Romania; the Vratza State Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria; and the Komische Kammer Oper Munchen (Comedic Chamber Opera of Munich) in Germany. He recorded M. William Karlins’ “Elegy” with members of the Sofia Radio and Philharmonia Bulgarica Symphony Orchestras in Bulgaria, and recorded Kimo Williams’ “Symphony for the Sons of Nam” with the Academic Symphony Orchestra in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Locally, MacDonald has conducted the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, Fox Valley Symphony in Wisconsin, the Lira Singers, as well as performances at the Chicago Humanities Festival and the New Music Chicago Festival.
As a composer, MacDonald’s orchestral work “Pockets” was given its premiere by the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in 2012. His setting of Psalm 150 premiered at the First United Methodist Church Choir in 2014, and was also performed by Elmhurst Choral Union in April 2015.
As a writer, he co-authored “Essentials of Music Theory and Ear Training” and was most recently doing research for a book on American music. Over the course of his career, MacDonald produced both classical and rock-and-roll recordings.
The Elmhurst Choral Union dedicated its April 3rd concert, Divine Dvorak, to MacDonald’s memory.
Some information in this article was provided by Gail Mrozak, publicity chair for the ECU. For more information, visit elmhurstchoralunion.org.
