Schola’s founding and present Music Director Barry Torres, for whom early music been a longstanding professional passion, served 25 years as Director of Music Ensembles at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, until his retirement in 2023.  At St. Lawrence he taught singing and 16th Century performance practice in addition to directing the Laurentian Singers (St. Lawrence's 28-member select choir), the University Chorus, and the Gospel Choir and Band.  As a singer and as a player of early wind instruments, Mr. Torres has appeared with the Orchestra of Northern New York, with NYS Baroque, and as a member of Sonare.  His dedication to early music began at the Syracuse University School of Music, where he studied composition and music theory.