The Young Women’s Choral Projects of San Francisco announced that Dr. Martin Benvenuto will be the Interim Artistic Director and Chief of Staff for the 2022-2023 season.

Dr. Benvenuto was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Boston University, an MFA in Voice and Conducting from Westminster Choir College, and a BA with Honors in Music, with honors from Catholic University.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Benvenuto to lead the YWCP, which is an organization that has built itsreputation on Dr. MacMane and is set to grow evenmore under new leadership,” said Martha Daetwyler, President of the YWCP board of directors, in an official press statement.

“As a treble choir specialist, it is exciting to build upon the solid foundation of excellence and community that Susan McMane created to transform the lives of young women,” Dr. Benvenuto added. “One of the silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a renewed awareness of choral music’s power to remind us of the essential. Choral music engages us in something unique that is greater than the sum of its parts. And that requires discipline, creativity, integrity, commitment, and spiritual and physical strength, values of course that we carry on into our daily lives. I look forward to bringing my passion and energy to the organization, and to connect with each and every singer through the unique power of music.”

Dr. Benvenuto will replace current Director and Founder Dr. Susan McMane, who is set to retire on July 2022 after 10 years of service. McMane will perform a farewell concert on June 23, 2022 entitled “Au Revoir.”