Tonya Dorsey - Pianist/Composer
Tonya Maria Taylor-Dorsey, Pianist/Composer
Born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Philadelphia, Tonya first demonstrated her love of music at the age of eight when her mother noticed her arranging hymns at the piano. As a child, Tonya studied piano under the tutelage of the late Charlotte T. Bell and Vernon Lathan of Settlement Music School. She went on to study piano pedagogy at Michigan State University’s College of Music.
An accomplished pianist and choir director, Tonya has directed the acclaimed Hope Singers of Philadelphia and is credited with creating all of the music for their debut CD recording. She was the guest conductor of the annual St. Martin de Porres Mass held at The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. She has provided the music for the Red Mass, a service offered annually for the judges and lawyers of Philadelphia and sponsored by The Saint Thomas More Society. Tonya was also guest conductor of the Women’s Symposium Choir, an event sponsored by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and held at the Historic St. Peter Claver Center for Evangelization. She has served as guest composer of the One Faith Gospel Music Seminar, guest conductor to New Spirit Presbyterian Church, and has directed the choirs of Pinn Memorial Baptist Church, and Trinity A.M.E. Church, all located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Tonya was honored to be a featured composer at Juilliard in New York City where her piece, “Everybody Needs Someone” was performed by famed Juilliard alumni Peter Dugan. On Christmas Eve 2012, “God’s Angel,” another song written by Tonya was featured on the front page of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In 2008, Tonya’s desire to honor God inspired her to create Tonya Dorsey and New Vision A NJ Nonprofit; this IRS 501(c)(3) foundation serves to honor God by providing scholarships to children in the performing arts. In addition to the foundation, New Vision, the choir, was also created; this group, comprised of talented vocalists, performs music written by Tonya, and has performed at the Cathedral Basilica for the annual “Mass for the Disabled” and at Rutgers University’s Walter K. Gordon Theater. It was Tonya’s vision to have a group of professional musicians perform and instead of being compensated, all monies would be donated for scholarships that would be awarded to young aspiring performing artists. And, what started out with one scholarship has quickly increased to over 100 scholarships! Tonya feels blessed to do what she loves and all the while help others.
Currently, Tonya is the Minister of Music at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Philadelphia and the Choir Director for the Diocese of Camden’s Gospel Choir in New Jersey.
In addition to her musical creativity, Tonya is also a published writer of poetry and fiction, and has won several awards for her work in prose. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Texas at San Antonio.
She is employed with the State of New Jersey where she works as a Grants Manager. For more information about her foundation visit: www.TDNVScholarships.org
Born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Philadelphia, Tonya first demonstrated her love of music at the age of eight when her mother noticed her arranging hymns at the piano. As a child, Tonya studied piano under the tutelage of the late Charlotte T. Bell and Vernon Lathan of Settlement Music School. She went on to study piano pedagogy at Michigan State University’s College of Music.
An accomplished pianist and choir director, Tonya has directed the acclaimed Hope Singers of Philadelphia and is credited with creating all of the music for their debut CD recording. She was the guest conductor of the annual St. Martin de Porres Mass held at The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. She has provided the music for the Red Mass, a service offered annually for the judges and lawyers of Philadelphia and sponsored by The Saint Thomas More Society. Tonya was also guest conductor of the Women’s Symposium Choir, an event sponsored by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and held at the Historic St. Peter Claver Center for Evangelization. She has served as guest composer of the One Faith Gospel Music Seminar, guest conductor to New Spirit Presbyterian Church, and has directed the choirs of Pinn Memorial Baptist Church, and Trinity A.M.E. Church, all located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Tonya was honored to be a featured composer at Juilliard in New York City where her piece, “Everybody Needs Someone” was performed by famed Juilliard alumni Peter Dugan. On Christmas Eve 2012, “God’s Angel,” another song written by Tonya was featured on the front page of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In 2008, Tonya’s desire to honor God inspired her to create Tonya Dorsey and New Vision A NJ Nonprofit; this IRS 501(c)(3) foundation serves to honor God by providing scholarships to children in the performing arts. In addition to the foundation, New Vision, the choir, was also created; this group, comprised of talented vocalists, performs music written by Tonya, and has performed at the Cathedral Basilica for the annual “Mass for the Disabled” and at Rutgers University’s Walter K. Gordon Theater. It was Tonya’s vision to have a group of professional musicians perform and instead of being compensated, all monies would be donated for scholarships that would be awarded to young aspiring performing artists. And, what started out with one scholarship has quickly increased to over 100 scholarships! Tonya feels blessed to do what she loves and all the while help others.
Currently, Tonya is the Minister of Music at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Philadelphia and the Choir Director for the Diocese of Camden’s Gospel Choir in New Jersey.
In addition to her musical creativity, Tonya is also a published writer of poetry and fiction, and has won several awards for her work in prose. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Texas at San Antonio.
She is employed with the State of New Jersey where she works as a Grants Manager. For more information about her foundation visit: www.TDNVScholarships.org