By Mary Pritchard, Contributing Writer

Michael Lapomardo, Shrewsbury High School choral director and theater teacher, executive and musical director of Centre Stage Productions, and member of the Tangelwood Festival Chorus. (Photo/Mary Pritchard)
Shrewsbury – Michael Lapomardo, choral director and theater teacher at Shrewsbury High School (SHS) and executive and musical director for Centre Stage Productions, has a passion for music that goes beyond the walls of the classroom.
Lapomardo has been a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus (TFC), singing with the Boston Pops and the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) since 2007. He says it happened fast and was unplanned.
“I happened to be searching the BSO website and clicked on the audition page, read it, and thought ‘sure, why not,’” he said. “I had no expectation of getting in, but I did. I was selected to go immediately to Tanglewood and then Europe. Administrators at my school allowed me to go to Europe for two weeks.”
Vocalists with the TFC donate their time but expenses are covered. Lapomardo performs in the holiday Pops concerts in Boston and with the BSO at Tanglewood in the summer.
“The TFC is made up of four teams and there are 36 performances of the holiday show. Each team does nine performances,” he said. “I find it very rewarding to perform for the public. Performing is something unique and a good outlet – it’s a music-making experience and the sound we [the TFC] make is outstanding. The acoustics in Symphony Hall and at Tanglewood are the best.”
He noted that his experience performing with the TFC helps him as a teacher as it reminds him what his students experience as performers.
“I go through the same problems they go through when performing,” he said. “For example, mistakes are a part of live performance and my experience helps me work with my students on how to handle that.”
While the holiday concerts come at a time when Lapomardo is fully engaged with many SHS responsibilities, he makes it work.
“It’s a tough time – a very busy season for me,” he said. “During December we’re doing rehearsals for the SHS musical, performing school concerts, and community performances with the SHS a cappella and women’s choirs. I perform at Symphony Hall about three times per week, sometimes two shows a day on weekends. Through December, I work from about 6 a.m. until after 11 p.m. I really push myself, but it’s worth it. We get the music for the holiday concert in November and we each rehearse on our own. Around the first week of December we have one choir rehearsal and one rehearsal with the orchestra.”
Lapomardo volunteers each year to perform in the Christmas Eve concert.
“Christmas Eve is when the magic happens – the kids and families there, the energy in Symphony Hall, Santa? there is so much Christmas spirit,” he said. “It’s one of the best performances for the group. Everyone is so energized – that, to me, is Christmas.”
Singing with the TFC has brought some unique experiences to Lapomardo’s life, but he notes that it all comes back around to what he does every day and his commitment to his students.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to sing along with some famous professional singers,” he said. “I learn from watching them, watching the conductors, and it shapes who I am. I bring my experience back to my students. That is truly the main reason I stick with it.”