Melinda O'Neal

As chorus master for Monadnock Music Festival in Wilton, NH 1994-96, she prepared performances of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice with period instruments, and Virgil Thompson’s The Mother of Us All, conducted by James Bolle.

— Mystique and Narrative in Berlioz’s Vocal Music” for Opera Prelude, Cadogan Hall, London, United Kingdom.

Handel Choir of Baltimore (2004-2013): Establishment of the Handel Period Instrument Orchestra for all pre-romantic concerts; series of Haydn Mass concerts; annual Messiah performances; performance of Handel Semele and Coronation Anthems, Bach cantatas, Mozart Requiem, Duruflé Requiem, Vaughn Williams G minor Mass; collaborations with American Opera Theatre in staged productions of Handel Jephtha and Purcell Dido and Aeneas; collaboration with Peabody Institute and Pro Musica Rara in Handel Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne; selected to perform at ACDA Eastern conference; collaborations with Baltimore Chamber Orchestra; commissions and performances of works by Leshnoff and McCulllough; collaboration with University of MD Baltimore County for Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem; workshops for BSO OrchKids; concerts to support local humanitarian nonprofits.

Dartmouth College Chamber Singers (1979-1996): Annual Feast of Song renaissance theatrical-musical banquet with the Early Music Ensemble; series of period instrument concerts with Arcadia Players of music by Mozart, Haydn, Bach, Purcell; performances of Brahms Neu und Alte Liebesliederwaltzers, Britten Hymn to St. Cecilia, lesser-known Berlioz choruses and songs, Ravel Trois Chansons, Messiaen O Sacrum Convivium, Ives Psalm 90; performance at ACDA Eastern conference in Boston; seven international concert tours (England, Scandinavia, Germany-Austria, Spain) and multiple national or regional tours in alternate years; numerous on-campus and local performances.

Her mentors include Julius Herford, Jan Harrington, Fiora Contino, Helmuth Rilling, Marcel Couraud, John Nelson, Thomas Dunn, and Joseph Flummerfelt.