Leo Nestor

LEO NESTOR is Justine Bayard Ward Professor of Music, director of choral activities, director of graduate studies in sacred music, and serves on the conducting, composition and Graduate Center for Latin American Music faculties at The Catholic University of America Benjamin T. Rome School of Music in Washington, D.C. He is artistic director and conductor of the American Repertory Singers (ARS), a founding member of the Conference of Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians (CRCCM), an artistic director and jurist of the Congresso Mondiale Maestri di Cappella, Rome. Dr. Nestor's compositions are published principally by ECS Publishing, a division of the E. C. Schirmer Music Company, Boston, with works also appearing in the catalogues of Selah Publishing, MorningStar Music Publishers, and Oregon Catholic Press.

American Songs and Ballads (2003), scored for chorus, guitar, violin, violoncello and contrabass, was commissioned by the Capitol Hill Chorale in celebration of its tenth anniversary season. Among previous commissions of choral music have been Variations on "Of the Father's Love Begotten" for chorus and nine brass instruments, percussion and organ for The Washington Chorus, which received its première performance at the Kennedy Center in December of 2000, a reprise of the revised score in December of 2002, and which will be recorded in the summer of 2003; Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow for divisi chorus, mezzo soprano and oboe (2002) for Diedre Battle and The Catholic University of America Chorus; Three American Hymn Tunes for chorus and organ for National City Christian Church (2002); Variations on "Quelle est cette odeur agréable" for chorus and string orchestra for The Catholic University of America Chorus and Symphony Orchestra (2001); Psalm 147: How Good It Is to Make Music for chorus, string orchestra, oboe, English horn and organ (2001) for the dedication of St. Jane
Frances de Chantal Parish, Bethesda, Maryland; Four Part Songs from the Highlands for chorus and flute (1998) for the fortieth anniversary of California State University, Hayward, the composer's alma mater; I Sing of God the Mighty Source (1998) for the dedication of the Rosales organ (Op. 23) in Los Angeles; O magnum mysterium for for divisi chorus, eight brass instruments, percussion and organ (1997) for Paul Salamunovich and the Los Angeles Master Chorale; Resurrexi: A Tapestry for Easter Morning for chorus, soprano and string orchestra for the Keynote Choral Festival in San Francisco; Four Motets on Plainsong Themes for Rodney Eichenberger and the USC Chamber Singers; In the Fullness of Time, a cantata for chorus, soli and chamber orchestra for The
Catholic University of America. Dr. Nestor has twice been commissioned to compose works for the visits of Pope John Paul II: People of God in the City of Our God (1987) for Los Angeles and Magnificat for St. Louis (1999).

Leo Nestor holds the undergraduate degree in composition from California State University, Hayward, the master's and doctoral degrees in choral music, both with highest honors, from the University of Southern California. From 1984 to 2000, Dr. Nestor was music director at Washington's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and since coming to Washington from Los Angeles, has resided on Capitol Hill.
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