Brock McElheran

Who was Brock McElheran?

Brock McElheran was a conductor and professor at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and a published author. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

He wrote the textbook Conducting Techniques for Beginners and Professionals, which is a used today in several conducting classes around the world. He also authored Music Reading by Intervals: A Modern Sight-Singing and Ear-Training Method for Singers, Conductors, and Teachers and a book recalling his experiences in World War II, V-Bombs and Weathermaps.

Besides conducting various ensembles at the Crane School of Music, McElheran has also conducted various ensembles around the world, including the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Two major activities outside of Potsdam were the Saratoga-Potsdam Choral Institute, SPCI, a three-week summer school held at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, and conductor of The Elgar Choir in Montreal.

He conducted the orchestra and chorus at the closing ceremonies of the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. He has also had various compositions published. During his active career he prepared choruses for many of the world's leading conductors, including Eugene Ormandy, Robert Shaw and Zubin Mehta. He died in Potsdam, New York.