Raised in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Thomas Burton is an experienced conductor, who has directed various choral and instrumental ensembles. He enjoys working with professional and amateur choirs of all ages and abilities. Thomas is thrilled to be joining the Oakville Choir for Children and Youth as Apprentice Conductor!
As a conductor, Thomas has led fully staged light opera productions with the McGill Savoy Society and the University of Michigan Gilbert and Sullivan Society. He is a dedicated church musician, having served as the Director of the Music at Bethlehem United Church of Christ in Ann Arbor, and as Music Coordinator for the Maritime Conference of the United Church of Canada.
Recently, Thomas has appeared as a conducting fellow with the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra, the Chorus America Conducting Academy, and the Nova Scotia Choral Federation’s Adult Choir Camp. In addition, his masterclass experiences include participation in the Vancouver Chamber Choir National Conducting Symposium, the Amadeus Choir Conducting Workshop, and the University of Illinois Choral Conducting Symposium.
Thomas performs regularly as a trombonist and singer within the US and Canada. A graduate of McGill University’s Orchestral Training Program, he has performed with such ensembles as the McGill Symphony Orchestra, l’Orchestre Symphonique de l’Agora, and the MLK Dream Orchestra in Lansing, Michigan.
As a singer, he has enjoyed working as a tenor with some of Canada’s finest choirs, including the acclaimed groups Voces Boreales and the National Youth Choir of Canada. Most recently, he has sung professionally with //meridian vocal ensemble and the Detroit-based chamber ensemble, Audivi. He has served as Tenor Section Leader with the NSCF’s Sing Summer Choir Camps since 2016.
Thomas currently serves as Director of Music at Munn’s United Church in Oakville. He is a recipient of the Iwan Edwards Award in Choral Conducting and the Kenneth Elloway Award in Classical Performance. Thomas holds a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Michigan, under the tutelage of Drs. Jerry Blackstone and Eugene Rogers.
