Jean-Sébastien Vallée

Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a Canadian-American conductor whose career bridges the orchestral and choral worlds. Recognized for the breadth of his musicianship, compelling performances, and dynamic artistic leadership, he brings to the podium a distinctive combination of symphonic vision, vocal expertise, and a deep understanding of the relationship between music, text, and dramatic expression.

Vallée is the newly appointed Director of Choruses of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, becoming only the third conductor to lead the chorus in its history. He continues as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and its professional chamber ensemble, the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers. He is also Full Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music.

His international career has brought him into collaboration with many of North America’s leading orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Orchestre symphonique de Québec. Equally at home leading orchestral, choral-orchestral, and vocal repertoire, Vallée has conducted works ranging from the central symphonic and sacred repertoire to contemporary music and world premieres. He has collaborated with distinguished conductors and artists including Andris Nelsons, Kent Nagano, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Alexander Shelley, Gustavo Gimeno, Jane Glover, and Paul McCreesh.

At the heart of Vallée’s work is a belief in music as an act of communication. Whether leading an orchestra, chorus, or combined forces, his approach is grounded in the architecture and rhetoric of the score and the expressive possibilities of sound and text. His performances are distinguished by clarity, immediacy, and a strong sense of musical narrative, while his programming creates connections across periods, traditions, and artistic disciplines.

An active recording artist, Vallée records for ATMA Classique, and his performances have been broadcast internationally. His discography includes Remember (2024), Distance (2021), Requiem – Fauré & Duruflé (2018), and Lux (2017). His newest recording, Lo, How a Rose, with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, is scheduled for release in fall 2026.

Alongside his performing career, Vallée is an influential educator and mentor to a new generation of conductors. At McGill University, he leads one of Canada’s foremost university choral and conducting programs, with former students holding professional and academic appointments in Canada and abroad. A sought-after clinician and pedagogue, he has led masterclasses, workshops, and residencies throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. He serves on the Board of Directors of Chorus America.

Vallée’s contributions to music have been recognized with major honors, including Université Laval’s Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Order of Choral Merit from the Alliance chorale du Québec. His 2026–27 season includes three programs with the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and conducting debuts with the Seattle Symphony and Pacific Symphony.