Instructor, Fundamentals of Conducting
Dallas Symphony Chorus

A native of Duluth, MN, William (Will) McLean is a music educator and conductor in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Currently, he is a DMA student in choral conducting at the University of North Texas where he studies with Dr’s Allen Hightower, Kristina MacMullen, and Jessica Nápoles. At UNT McLean has served as the conductor of the UNT Chorale and currently teaches undergraduate conducting. In addition to his responsibilities at UNT, McLean serves as the Associate Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Chorus and serves on the faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington as the conductor of the A Cappella Choir this Fall. Before his graduate studies, McLean most recently was the Director of Choirs at South Salem High School in Oregon. While at South Salem, the Symphonic Choir (SATB) was invited to perform at the 2019 National ACDA Convention in Kansas City, MO. Additionally, choirs at South Salem during his tenure received invitations to perform at the OMEA state music education conference and toured nationally.

McLean has presented sessions at national, regional, and state ACDA, NAfME conferences, and the International Symposium for Research in Choral Singing. Topics of these presentations have included state and national choral programming trends, singer agency in choral environments, and pedagogical repertoire selection A fierce advocate for the creation of new music, McLean has collaborated with numerous composers in the commissioning of new choral works, including the likes of Mari Esabel Valverde, Paul John Rudoi, and Joshua Rist. As a proponent for furthering and advocating for choral music, McLean has served on the OMEA Executive Board as the Choral Chair and on the board of Oregon ACDA.

He holds a master’s degree in conducting from Baylor University where he graduated with departmental distinction and a bachelor’s degree in music education from St. Olaf College. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, running, hiking, and spending time with his wife Jenna, and their dog Hildy.