Alex Canovas is a Brooklyn-based vocal artist, conductor, and teacher committed to exploring and celebrating the human voice through the power of choral music.

He is the General & Artistic Director of the Young New Yorkers' Chorus (YNYC), leading both their Mixed and Treble Ensembles. In 2023, YNYC was named the winner of The American Prize in Choral Performance — Community Division, and in 2024 Alex was named the winner of The American Prize in Choral Conducting — The Dale Warland Award  — Community Division. YNYC has previously appeared as a showcase ensemble at the 2023 Connecticut American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Fall Conference (Treble Ensemble), and the 2024 ACDA Eastern Region Conference (Mixed Ensemble).

An ardent supporter of new music, YNYC has given the world, regional, or NYC premiere of over 30 works over seven seasons under Alex’s direction. Alex also oversees YNYC’s celebrated Daniel Thompson Memorial Competition for Young Composers, which has led to the commissioning of over 55 new works by young composers, many of whom have gone on to become some of the most influential voices in choral music.

Alex has collaborated and worked with with creatives working in a wide variety of mediums, including John Luther Adams, Sxip Shirey, Paul Pinto, David Bloom, Caroline Polachek, Brad Wells, Kent Nagano, Tina Roth Eisenberg & Creative Mornings, Philip Glass, R.B. Schlather, Matt Oltman, Dale Trumbore, Mark Shapiro, David Conte, and Vance George. He has led and prepared ensembles for appearances at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, National Sawdust, The Town Hall, Rockefeller Center, and other venues across New York City. He has extensive experience in church music, most recently serving on the music staff of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn for almost ten years, where he was named Director of Music & Choirmaster in 2018. Other previous positions include Associate Conductor of Choral Chameleon, Operations Manager and Assistant Conductor of the Empire City Men’s Chorus, and Assistant Conductor of the Ridgewood, NJ-based Ars Musica Chorale. As an administrator, he has worked for OPERA America, as well as the doctor booking app Zocdoc, where he developed a deep love of systems and processes.

He is an active member of Chorus America and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), currently serving as Webmaster for the New York chapter of ACDA, and on the ACDA National Composition Initiatives Committee. Alex is a graduate of Ithaca College, where his teachers included Dr. Brad Hougham, Lawrence Doebler, Dr. Janet Galván, and Brian DeMaris.

Alex lives and works in Brooklyn with his wife and cat. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and striving to brew the perfect cup of craft coffee.