Dr. Maxine Thévenot
Founding & Artistic Director

	Dr. Maxine Thévenot

An accomplished, respected, and dynamic choral conductor much in demand, Maxine Thévenot has directed ensembles across North America. She also maintains an active career as an international organist, a visiting lecturer at universities, a recording artist, and is a published writer and photographer. Presently, Dr. Thévenot serves as the Founding Director of the professional vocal ensemble, POLYPHONY: Voices of New Mexico; as the Director of the University of New Mexico women’s vocal ensemble, Las Cantantes; and as the Director of Cathedral Music & Organist at the Cathedral of St. John, Albuquerque, NM.

POLYPHONY: Voices of New Mexico is comprised of young experienced professional singers who reside in New Mexico and who have been educated across North America. The ensemble has a flexible roster, which enables all genres and voicing of repertoire to be performed. The repertoire includes mostly a cappella music ranging from that of Hildegard von Bingen to modern day compositions. Their 2009-2010 season begins with the women's roster singing a concert in Hobbs, NM as part of the Southwest Symphony Series in November followed by performances at Santa Fe's historic Loretto Chapel and at the Cathedral of St. John in December. 

Las Cantantes is comprised of 20 auditioned singers. The ensemble studies, rehearses and performs the finest a cappella literature for treble voices. The group has collaborated with such important figures as Libby Larsen, Dave Brubeck, Alice Parker and Moses Hogan. Since taking the group's direction in the Fall 2007, Dr. Thevenot has directed the ensemble in numerous venues ranging from the stage of Keller Hall on campus to the stage of Carnegie Hall.  She led them on a week long tour to New York City singing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, historic Grace Church Lower Broadway, Long Island's historic Cathedral of the Incarnation, and Church of the Heavenly Rest on Manhattan's Upper East Side.  Under her direction Las Cantantes recorded their first commercially released CD – My Dancing Day – on the RavenCD label. This disc features several premiere recordings of works for the Christmas season by New Mexico composers, Bradley Ellingboe and Frederick Frahm, in addition to the major work for choir and harp by John Rutter – Dancing Day Carols.  A second CD titled Dream a Little Dream will be available in the Spring of 2010.  In addition to her work with the UNM Choral department she lectures Music Theory and serves as Chapel Organist at the UNM Alumni Chapel.  

Dr. Thévenot serves as the Director of Cathedral Music and as such works with the Cathedral Choir, the Cathedral Chamber Choir, and the Cathedral Choristers. These ensembles sing at weekly and monthly services at the Cathedral, perform newly commissioned works, perform annual concerts with organ, and concerts with members of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. She has directed the Cathedral Choirs and members of the NMSO in performances of works ranging from J.S. Bach to modern day composers such as David Arcus, Judith Bingham, Tarik O’Regan, and Joby Talbot.

Maxine Thévenot was the Founding Director of the women’s ensemble, Concentus while serving on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City in 2005. Dr. Thévenot also served as the Associate Conductor for the Manhattan School of Music Chorus comprised of 120 freshmen and sophomore students from 2002-2004. From 2003-2005, Ms. Thévenot served as the Associate Choirmaster at The Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York where she was the Director of the Cathedral Girls Choir and the Schola Cantorum. Other past choral experiences have included working as Senior Accompanist and Assistant Conductor, Calgary Girls Choir; Calgary Philharmonic Chorus, rehearsal pianist and Assistant Conductor; Assistant Conductor, Cathedral Church of the Redeemer Cathedral Choir, Calgary, AB; rehearsal pianist and Assistant Conductor, University of Saskatchewan, University Chorus, Saskatoon, SK.

Ms. Thévenot has received the Bachelor of Music in Music Education with distinction from the University of Saskatchewan, and the degrees, Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in organ performance from the Manhattan School of Music, New York, where she was twice-awarded the Bronson Ragan Award for ‘most outstanding organist’. She also holds the Associate diplomas from the Royal Canadian College of Organists and the Royal Conservatory of Music. In December 2006, Dr. Thévenot was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the National College of Music, London, UK for her services to music.  For more information please visit www.maxinethevenot.com for a listing of her organ recital schedule.