Michael Hengelsberg – Master Director
Master Director, Michael Hengelsberg has been involved in singing and choral directing for most
of his life. While he started singing in elementary school in various choirs, he advanced to All-
State Choir on the baritone part during his senior year at Hampton High School. While in
college, he became the organist and choir director for a Trinity Episcopal Church in Washington,
Pennsylvania. He also was the music director for the student musicals at Washington and
Jefferson College. After finishing college and moving to Wisconsin, he became the musical
director at Olivet Lutheran Church and later was the organist and choir director at St. Joseph
Church in La Crosse, WI.
Michael’s love for barbershop music started all the way back in high school where he formed a
quartet of friends to sing in a quartet for a 4th of July parade in Hampton Township. In college,
he started a fledgling men’s barbershop chorus at Washington and Jefferson College. After
moving to Wisconsin in 1995, at the urging of his wife, he joined the La Crosse Coulee
Chordsmen in 1996. He began directing the chorus in 1997 after their previous director moved
away. Michael directed and coached the chorus to 4th place in the Land o’ Lakes District contest,
earning them a trip to the Buckeye Invitational Contest. The chorus earned a first-place medal in
their performance at Buckeye that year.
After moving back to Pittsburgh, Michael became involved in barbershop with the Pittsburgh
Metro chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. He is also a founding member of the
Keystone Lodge #4 of SPPBSQSUS (the “new” Barbershop Society). He began directing
Greater Harmony Chorus in 2016. The chorus won most improved chorus and earned a second-
place medal at their first competition with Michael in 2017. This placement earned the chorus
their first ever invitation to the International Competition in 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. In
2019, Michael directed the chorus to their highest-ever regional competition score of 622 points,
earning Michael the rank of Master Director. Most recently, in 2023, Michael directed Greater
Harmony to their first-ever Regional Championship at Region 17 competition. Greater Harmony
has qualified to sing at Sweet Adelines International competition in every contest they have been
eligible since Michael began directing.
In his “real life”, Michael is director of business development for flavors and ingredients at
Osage Food Products. He lives in Allison Park with his wife and bass section leader, Allison and
his son, Charlie. He has two adult daughters, Lexi and Grace and one grandson, M.J.
