Our History

 The Hudson-Mohawk Chorale, led by Sue Fedak and accompanied by Al Fedak, was originally a group of 25 singers who embarked on a singing tour of Brussels and The Netherlands calling itself The Hudson-Mohawk Chorale. The experience was so musically rewarding and inspiring that the singers asked Sue to continue the group, incorporate it, and invite other singers to join.

Now some 60-70 voices come together weekly to learn and prepare music for audiences to enjoy. The group’s mission is to provide both those singing and those listening opportunities to experience meaningful choral compositions performed to the highest standards of vocal performance. Each concert generally focuses on a theme or themes that explore important aspects of the human experience.

Leadership

ARTISTIC & FOUNDING DIRECTOR

Susan Hermance-Fedak grew up in Schenectady and is now recognized as one of the Capital Region’s leading choral conductors, singers, and teachers. A highly accomplished mezzo-soprano, she performed as an oratorio soloist with numerous choirs and orchestras throughout the Northeast and participated in the premiere performances of a number of significant new works. For ten years, Ms. Fedak was an adjunct voice teacher at the College of St. Rose. At Siena College, she taught vocal music and is now singing with the Clare Ensemble Singers under the direction of Dr. Timothy Reno. Recently retired as an adjunct vocal instructor at SUNY Schenectady, she continues to maintain a private voice studio in her home.

Ms. Fedak is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and past Treasurer of the Eastern New York chapter of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) and a life member of Delta Omicron, a professional music fraternity. For fifteen years, she was Associate Minister of Music and Arts at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Capitol Hill in Albany, where she directed the church’s vocal and handbell choirs and led music in the church school. Last year, she served as interim choral director at First Reformed Church of Scotia. At Congregation Beth Emeth, Albany, she sang in the High Holy Days Choir for 26 years and directed both the professional and volunteer choirs there. Past directorships include RPI Concert Choir, Festival Celebration Choir, Burnt Hills Oratorio Society, and Saratoga Children’s Chorus. In 2015, she led The Hudson-Mohawk Chorale on a highly successful inaugural concert tour of Belgium, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands, and last year, she led an award-winning concert tour to Italy with 30 chorale members. She accompanied and sang with a group of chorale members who performed at Carnegie Hall in June, 2025.

COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE & ACCOMPANIST

Alfred Fedak holds degrees in organ Performance and Music History from Hope College and Montclair State University and has done additional study at Westminster Choir College, Eastman School of Music, and in Austria and England. A Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, he also holds the AGO’s Choirmaster Certificate, as well as a Fellowship Certificate in Composition (FTCSM/Comp) from the Three Counties School of Music, Gloucestershire University, England. A well-known composer, he has over 300 choral and organ works in print, and his many hymn tunes appear in hymnals throughout the English-speaking world and Asia. The winner of many awards in both performance and composition, he has performed and lectured widely throughout the US and abroad. He has served as organist at Westminster Presbyterian Church and Congregation Beth Emeth in Albany and First Reformed Church in Scotia, taught at SUNY Schenectady and the College of St. Rose, and has performed with nearly every classical music ensemble in the Capital Region. Now retired from regular church work, he remains active as a freelance performer and composer.

What We've Achieved