Dr. John McDonald is the Director of Choirs and Vocal Studies at Washington University in St. Louis; conductor of Cantus, the St. Louis Children’s Choirs tenor-bass ensemble; and artistic director and founder of Continuum Vocal Ensemble, a professional choir based in St. Louis. A sought-after guest conductor and clinician, he has led workshops and conducted honor choirs across the United States and in Europe.
John currently serves as the chair of the Communication and Education Committee for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and is a member of the National Board for the National Collegiate Choral Organization. In 2023, he was selected as one of six conductors to represent ACDA in the International Conductors Exchange Program with Germany.
John holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, a Master of Music from East Carolina University, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Middle Tennessee State University.