Music Director Edward Whalen

Edward “Ted” Whalen was appointed Music Director of the Wellesley Choral Society in 1994. During his tenure with the ensemble, he has led the chorus in a wide scope of repertoire including Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Handel’s Coronation Anthems, Mozart’s Great Mass in c minor, Bloch’s Sacred Service, Rachmaninoff’s Sacred Vespers, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, requiems of Mozart, Brahms, Fauré, and Duruflé, Vaughn Williams’ Dona nobis pacem, and Poulenc’s Gloria. The group has premiered a number of Ted’s compositions including David and Jonathon, a dramatic cantata, Dialogues, a piece written especially for the groups’ May 2015 concert, Stars, in honor of the WCS 70th anniversary season, and for the Spring 2019 Mother’s Day concert, the chorus premiered a work entitled Love and Prayers in honor of his mother, Janet Whalen.

Ted is a graduate of New England Conservatory, University of Rhode Island, and studied at Tanglewood Music Center and the Aspen Music Festival. He has appeared as conductor with the Boston Aria Guild’s performances of Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel, the Wakefield Festival Chorus, King’s Chapel, Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra, Rhode Island Gilbert and Sullivan Society, University of Rhode Island, and other ensembles. He has prepared choruses for performances at Monadnock Music Festival and conducted gala celebration performances for Boston Baroque.

As a vocal soloist, he has performed with such groups as the Boston Lyric Opera, The Des Moines Metro Opera, Lake George Opera Festival, and Boston Aria Guild. He made his Boston Symphony Hall debut singing the role of Dancairo in the critically acclaimed Chorus proMusica performance of Carmen. He sang with Boston Baroque (Banchetto Musicale) for 25 years appearing on all of the ensemble’s Grammy-nominated recordings. In 1995, Ted joined Milton Academy as the director of Upper School Choruses. He retired in June 2026 and is now enjoying more time to compose music.