Timothy Westerhaus
Chorusmaster
Chorusmaster preparing the chorus for a performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah.
In short
Timothy Westerhaus is catalogued here as chorusmaster for the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra's upcoming performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah. A chorusmaster trains and rehearses the choir separately, shaping diction, blend, and entrances, before the conductor brings orchestra and chorus together for the concert itself.
What to listen for
Elijah is an oratorio, a large-scale work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra telling the biblical story of the prophet Elijah, and it depends heavily on choral sound: crowd scenes of the Israelites, storm and fire episodes, and quiet chorales all need a chorus that can shift from massed power to hushed unison. A chorusmaster's job is invisible on the night itself but audible in every choral entrance, how cleanly the words land, how the group breathes together, how the big double chorus passages build without turning to noise. Listeners can expect the chorus to carry much of the work's dramatic weight alongside the soloists.
Written by OrchestraFinder, reviewed September 2026.