The longtime educator, band director and choral conductor, a 12-year resident of San Diego County, is celebrating his 10th year as the musical director of the San Diego Festival Chorus.
The nondenominational and secular East County-based chorus — 80 members strong — will fete Mostardo at its annual winter concert, to be held this year on Sunday at the College Avenue Baptist Church. The chorus will perform classics with a 48-piece orchestra.
“Tony, our founder, will be 83 this year, and we are so proud of him,” said Teresa Fistere, who along with her husband, John, is an original member of the group. “He has so much vitality… and he delivers. Tony moved from Chicago, where he conducted his Festival Chorus over 30 years, to San Diego, where he married his college sweetheart at age 70 and then started the San Diego Festival Chorus in 2001. We are a tight group and we give kudos to Tony. We are like a big family.”
The group practices at least two hours a week at Hillsdale Middle School in Rancho San Diego. Members of the group, ranging from early 30s to octogenarian, give two major annual performances as well as several outreach community concerts throughout the year.
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