P. Wesley Roy will narrate Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait as part of ONNY’s spring concert, Summon the Heroes, on April 25th in Potsdam and April 26th in Watertown.

Dr. Roy is the Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam.

For ten years, he worked as a public high school and middle school teacher, where he taught choirs, music theory, private voice lessons, and musical theater. He has served on county and state boards for the Florida Vocal Association and the American Choral Directors Association. He has also performed nationally and internationally with the Festival Singers of Florida. 

Dr. Roy is a firm advocate for furthering educational opportunities and accessibility for students and teachers with the ultimate goal of using art for the service of others. His current work involves designing performance practice resources for teachers and studying the effects of social justice music in our ever-changing choral landscape. He has presented at state and national professional conferences on stress management for performing arts teachers, community-building, student leadership, and Baroque performance practice. 

He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Miami, where he directed the Frost Symphonic Choir, taught conducting and vocal methods, and organized the annual high school honor choir event. He also served as the Assistant Conductor Fellow for the GRAMMY®-nominated professional ensemble, Seraphic Fire. Prior to his work in schools, he received a Master of Music Education in Choral Conducting from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Syracuse University. 

As a native upstate-New Yorker, Dr. Roy is thrilled to be part of the faculty at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. In his free time, he enjoys cuddling with his sweet little dachshund. 

ONNY is honored to be collaborating with him as he brings Lincoln’s powerful words to life.