ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:
LAIRD THORNTON

LAIRD M. THORNTON received his Bachelor of Music in Performance from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon and did his graduate work in vocal studies at the University of Southern California. He earned his teaching certificate at the University of Washington where he studied choral conducting under Abraham Kaplan. He
has conducted many major choral works
including Fanshawe’s African Sanctus.

In addition to his duties with the Federal
way Chorale, Laird has maintained an
active performance career in the Seattle area,
singing with Seattle Opera and Tacoma
Opera, as well as smaller regional opera
companies. He has also appeared in musical
theater productions with Civic Light Opera,
Tacoma Musical Playhouse, and Puget
Sound Musical Theatre. He has performed
as a soloist with the Northwest Chorale, the
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra and Choir
of the Sound, among others.

He is currently Director of Choral Music
at Grace Lutheran Church in Des Moines
and Director of Vocal Music at Thomas
Jefferson High School in Federal Way. His
high school ensembles and musical theater
productions have a long record of regional
and national awards.