Our Music Director
Matthew Buono
In September 2022, Matthew Buono became the 5th music director of Andover Choral Society since the organization was founded in 1929.
An accomplished bass-baritone, Buono is a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, performing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops. He has also performed with the Metropolitan Chorale in Brookline, the Illuminati Vocal Arts Ensemble in South Hadley, and the Vellichor Ensemble in Worcester. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Music Education degree from Gordon College. Buono currently serves as Elementary Music Specialist in the Chelmsford Public Schools and has also directed choruses in the North Middlesex Regional School District and the Douglas Public Schools. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education and the Massachusetts Music Educators Association, where he has served in a variety of leadership roles.
Mr. Buono was selected from a group of impressive candidates for the music director position. During his rehearsal audition, Buono impressed the chorus with the passion and creative energy he brings to choral conducting. In accepting the position Mr. Buono said, “I’m looking forward to working with this talented and dedicated group of singers as we prepare to bring outstanding choral music to the Merrimack Valley.”
Our Accompanist and Concert Pianist
Valerie Becker
Valerie J. Becker is a multi-faceted musician who is active as a pianist, conductor and music educator. She has served as pianist for the Andover Choral Society since the fall of 2014. Ms Becker has been a soloist with the Boston Pops and has appeared in recital with many major artists throughout the world. As a former rehearsal pianist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra she had the occasion to play for world-renowned artists such as Midori, James Galway, YoYo Ma, Kathleen Battle and Isaac Stern. She taught at the North Carolina School for the Arts has performed on both radio and television and has recorded on the ASV label.
Her work with developing voices includes serving on the Performing Arts Faculty of the Winsor School, serving as Music Director for the Needham Congregational Church, working with choral groups for 15 summers at Tanglewood, serving as pianist for the Metropolitan Opera regional auditions and as past conductor for Boston City Singers and Artistic Director for the Treble Chorus of New England, where she directed at any given point all levels of choirs. Ms. Becker has adjudicated Northeast District auditions, conducted the Northeast District Trebles in Concert, and has been a Choral Clinician for the Choristers Guild Southeastern Children’s Festival.
She is currently on the faculty of the New England Conservatory Prep School, the Rivers School Conservatory, and Needham High School. Ms. Becker also continues to perform as a freelance collaborative artist, teacher and conductor in the Boston area.
A native of Boston, Ms. Becker received both her Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees from Boston University, where she was also awarded membership into Pi Kappa Lambda, the national music honor society. Her post-graduate studies led her to the University of Illinois where she worked on an accompaniment and coaching degree, to Austria where she studied German Lieder, and to Italy where she performed with the Rome Festival Orchestra.