Alan Heatherington

Alan Heatherington (born 1945) is one of the leading orchestra conductors in Illinois. He has conducted and/or played with virtually all of the major orchestras in the Chicago area. He is the Music Director of Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Master Singers, and is Music Director Emeritus of the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra,

Heatherington grew up in Rochester, New York, the child of two musicians. Heatherington began his musical training at age five, first in piano and later in violin, voice, and conducting. While still in high school, he studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He later turned down a scholarship at Eastman to attend Houghton College in New York and the seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Bannockburn, Illinois (now part of Trinity International University). After graduating from seminary, he taught theology and biblical studies at the Moody Bible Institute for ten years. He received a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, he studied conducting under Margaret Hillis and Bernard Rubenstein. He also studied violin, winning the honors competition.

Heatherington made his debut at Carnegie Hall with the Delft Trio in 1981. He conducted the Chicago String Ensemble from 1977 until 1995.

Heatherington has taught extensively at universities. From 1981 to 1986, he was director of orchestral conducting and string instruction at the State University of New York at Buffalo. In 1988, he became associate professor of music at North Park College, and conducted the college orchestra there until 1993.

From 1995 to 2003, he was Director of Music Ministries at the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Forest, Illinois. He was conductor of the professional choir at Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago from 1992 to 2000. He was the Artistic Director and co-conductor of the Innsbruck International Choral Festival for four years. He was Music Director of the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra from 1995 to 2014 and the Lake Forest Symphony from 2000 to 2013, and is Music Director Emeritus of both orchestras..

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