The 2006-07 season marks Betsy Burleigh’s ninth year as assistant director of choruses for The Cleveland Orchestra. From 1998 through the 2005-06 season, she also served as director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus. Dr. Burleigh is in her first season as music director of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, where she succeeded longtime director Robert Page. She also serves as coordinator of choral and vocal music at Cleveland State University.

Betsy Burleigh was chorus master at Cleveland Opera from 2002 through 2006, director of the Akron Symphony Chorus from 1997 to 2002, and director of the Canton Symphony Chorus from 1997 to 2000. In 2000 she received the Northern Ohio Live Award of Achievement in the classical music/opera category, for conducting Cleveland Public Theatre’s production of Viktor Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis. She also has conducted the Cleveland Music School Settlement Chamber Choir and the Choral Arts Society of Cleveland. Dr. Burleigh’s musical career began in Boston, where she was music director of The Master Singers from 1985 to 1991. Past positions have included director of choral activities at Tufts University and Clark University.

Betsy Burleigh earned a bachelor of music education degree from Indiana University, a master of music degree in choral conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music, and a doctor of music degree from Indiana University.