Richard Westenburg was a lauded American choral conductor. He notably founded the Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra

Musica Sacra (New York)

Musica Sacra is the longest continuously-performing professional chorus in New York City. Its founder, Richard Westenburg, directed the chorus from 1964 until 2007, when he was succeeded as director by Kent Tritle. The chorus regularly performs in Carnegie Hall and other New York concert...

 in 1964, serving as its director until 2007 when Kent Tritle

Kent Tritle

Kent Tritle is a choral conductor and organist in New York City, United States. He is the current director of the professional chorus Musica Sacra and of the Oratorio Society of New York, and director of cathedral music and organist at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine...

 took over as director. He also founded the Basically Bach Festival at Lincoln Center in 1979, running the festival for a decade. He served as the music director of the Collegiate Chorale

Collegiate Chorale

The Collegiate Chorale is a symphonic choir based in New York City, USA. It was founded in 1941 by Robert Shaw, who was later to found the professional Robert Shaw Chorale. The Collegiate Chorale continues to give several performances annually in Carnegie Hall and other major venues...

 from 1973 to 1979 and was a popular lecturer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...

 from 1979 to 1982.

Westenburg also served on the faculties of several universities. He taught choral music and conducting at the Mannes College of Music

Mannes College of Music

Mannes College The New School for Music is The New School university's music conservatory. While the university's main campus is located in Greenwich Village, New York City, Mannes maintains its main academic building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan....

 from 1971 to 1977, was the head of the choral department at the Juilliard School

Juilliard School

The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...

 from 1977 to 1989, and was on the music faculty at Rutgers University

Rutgers University

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

from 1986 to 1992.