He is a choral and orchestral conductor, bass singer and teacher raised in Philadelphia, often known as Larry. He studied at the Westminster Choir College, graduating in 1978, and was a touring member of the Westminster Choir where he sung with many orchestras under acclaimed conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Antal Dorati, Zubin Mehta and Robert Shaw.
He took further studies at Temple University and East Carolina University and performed as a professional soloist , as a member of The Philadelphia Singers for 9 years and as a member of the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus. In 1986 he founded a community choir in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. He has more recently been a member of The Vocal Arts Ensemble of Durham and performed with the ensemble Conspirare.
In 1989 he relocated to Cary, North Carolina, and went to the White Plains United Methodist Church as the Director of Music Ministries and two years later he became a co-founder of the symphonic choir The Concert Singers of Cary which became known for giving performances with The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, The Durham Symphony, The North Carolina Symphony and the Raleigh Symphony among others.
As a conductor and chorus master he has worked with the Raleigh Symphony and the North Carolina Opera Company and as a music director he has worked in Quakertown, Pennsylvania’s First United Church of Christ and Morganton, North Carolina’s First United Methodist Church. Most recently he has been the Director of Music Ministries at Watt Street Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina.
No stranger to the recording studio he has performed on albums such as Gloria! Gloria! by Benita Valente, The Philadelphia Singers & The Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and Like As a Hart, O Magnum Mysterium and the Grammy nominated Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass by The Westminster Choir.
In the field of musical education he has been a faculty member at Cary Academy in North Carolina and runs his own voice studio.
The Philadelphia Singers recordings
Adeste Fidelis (Frederick Oakeley/John Francis Wade)
RCA 6559-2-RC (Gloria! Gloria!)
Soprano – Benita Valente
Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
Conductor – Michael Korn
Sources:
- http://www.wattsstreet.org/mod/church-staff/about.php?staff_id=100001
- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Concert-Singers-of-Cary/74944492082
- http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/travel/blogpost/7408867/
- http://concertsingers.org/
- http://www.chesky.com/core/details.cfm?productcode=CD138
- http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,87096,00.html
- CD Liner Notes: Gloria! Gloria!