Burleigh and the other finalists auditioned last month by leading the choir in rehearsals. The other finalists were Tom Hall, music director of the Baltimore Choral Arts Society; Marika Kuzma, director of choruses at the University of California at Berkeley; and Melinda O'Neal, artistic director of the Handel Choir of Baltimore and director of choruses at Dartmouth College.
Founded in 1908, the Mendelssohn Choir performs frequently with the Pittsburgh Symphony.