PITTSBURGH’S FINEST VOICE IS

A choir of physicians. accountants. bartenders. teachers. retail workers. nurses. engineers. singers. students. social workers. bankers.

The Grammy-nominated Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh is the “voice of the greater Pittsburgh region” — whether premiering new choral arrangements of Bob Dylan songs at a rock venue or performing Mozart with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City. MCP is composed of mostly amateur singers with professional-caliber talent, whose day jobs vary from nuclear engineer to bartender to social worker. Singers give generously of their time, talent, and passion to share the magic of live music.

“The Mendelssohn never ceases to amaze me… This city should be proud of its choir.”

— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Audition for the Choir
Our History

A Century of Excellence

As the choral partner of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for almost one hundred years, MCP provides singers with extraordinary opportunities to create music at the highest level performing with world-renowned conductors, musicians, and soloists to reach tens of thousands of people each year.

Our Mission

Embracing New Voices & Traditions

MCP is dedicated to performing compelling performances at the highest artistic level and fostering the appreciation, participation, and creation of choral music in present and future generations. We are committed to engaging people of all backgrounds and musical traditions in the universal joy of using one’s voice in the company of others through:

Identifying and dismantling systemic barriers to participation;

Building relationships among choral leaders and singers from diverse traditions that are founded in mutuality, respect, and collaborative action;

Presenting repertoire from diverse traditions and composers, including historically excluded composers.

MEET OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR

Daniel Singer

Daniel Singer is an accomplished conductor, vocalist, and music educator who harnesses his lifelong love of music to inspire choruses to achieve new heights of excellence in choral performance. Daniel joined MCP in 2023 as the ensemble’s Robert Page Music Director. He has also been a member of The Cleveland Orchestra conducting staff since 2012, where he serves as Assistant Director of Choruses and Director of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude in music education from Northwestern University and a Master of Music degree in conducting from Michigan State University.

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Our Staff

Daniel Singer headshot

Daniel Singer

Music Director
Daniel joined MCP in 2023. He has also been a member of The Cleveland Orchestra conducting staff since 2012, where he serves as Assistant Director of Choruses and Director of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus. Daniel holds degrees in Music Education and Conducting from Northwestern University and Michigan State University.
Mary Ann Lapinski headshot

Mary Ann Lapinski

Executive Director
Before moving into arts management 20 years ago, Mary Ann taught and operated community-based programs in Ithaca, NY, that were affiliated with Cornell University. She has advanced degrees in English and Social Sciences from Syracuse University.
Emily Leal-Santiesteban headshot

Emily Leal-Santiesteban

Director of Choral Operations
Emily is entering her eighteenth season as a member of MCP. A native of Pittsburgh, Emily holds a BA in English from Carnegie Mellon University, and an MA in Humanities from Duke University.