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Jean-Sébastien Vallée

Conductor

Explore the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir's 2026-27 Season

REMEMBER: 130 YEARS OF CANADIAN CHORAL MUSIC

Introducing Vallée's newest album with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir

Featuring pieces from a diverse range of Canadian composers, Remember acts as a musical time capsule, capturing key moments in Canadian choral history. From Felix Mendelssohn’s Richte mich, Gott, performed during the Choir’s first concert in 1895, to modern works such as Stuart Beatch’s a boy and a boy and Shireen Abu-Khader’s I Forgive, this album chronicles the evolution of Canadian music across generations. The album is a reflection of the TMChoir's role as both a steward of history and a champion of new Canadian voices.

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About

Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a Canadian-American conductor, scholar, and educator recognized for his work across choral, vocal, and orchestral repertoire. He serves as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and its professional chamber ensemble, the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, and is Full Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, and Coordinator of the Conducting and Ensembles Area at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music.

With an international career spanning North America, Europe, and Asia, Vallée has collaborated with leading orchestras including the Boston, Chicago, and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. He has also prepared choruses for and worked alongside distinguished conductors such as Andris Nelsons, Kent Nagano, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Alexander Shelley, Gustavo Gimeno, Jane Glover, and Paul McCreesh.

An active recording artist on ATMA Classique, his work has been broadcast internationally. His discography includes Remember (2024), Distance (2021), Requiem (2018), and Lux (2017), with a new recording, Lo, How a Rose, scheduled for release in fall 2026.

Known for his distinctive artistic voice and dynamic leadership, Vallée brings a thoughtful and compelling approach to a wide range of repertoire, shaping performances that balance precision, emotional depth, and a strong sense of musical narrative.

A dedicated mentor and international clinician, Vallée leads workshops and residencies with professional, student, and youth ensembles worldwide, including recent engagements in Budapest and Hong Kong. He serves on the Board of Directors of Chorus America.

His work has been recognized with major honours, including the Université Laval Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Order of Choral Merit from the Alliance chorale du Québec. In the 2026–2027 season, Vallée returns to the Orchestre symphonique de Québec for three programs and makes debut appearances with the Seattle Symphony and Pacific Symphony.

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