American Choral Directors Association

American Choral Directors Association
Name	American Choral Directors Association
Abbreviation	ACDA
Formation	1959
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	United States
Region served	North America
Membership	Choral conductors, educators, composers
Leader title	President

Contents

American Choral Directors Association is a professional association founded in 1959 that serves choral conductors, educators, composers, and singers across the United States. The organization connects members through conferences, festivals, publications, and advocacy, engaging institutions such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, and universities including Indiana University Bloomington, University of Michigan, and University of Southern California. Its activities intersect with ensembles and individuals like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic Choir, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, and institutions such as New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic.

History

The association was established in 1959 amid a postwar expansion of collegiate music programs associated with Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, and state university systems such as University of Texas at Austin and Ohio State University. Early leaders drew on traditions from choirs linked to Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, St. Thomas Church, New York, and collegiate groups like Harvard Glee Club, Yale Glee Club, and Cambridge University Musical Society. The association's development paralleled milestones in American music such as premieres at Carnegie Hall, collaborations with conductors like Robert Shaw, Leonard Bernstein, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, and relationships with composers including Samuel Barber, Copland, John Rutter, and Caroline Shaw. Over decades the association expanded regional divisions, adapted repertoire from baroque works by Johann Sebastian Bach and classical repertory by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to contemporary commissions by Arvo Pärt and James MacMillan, and responded to cultural shifts involving institutions like National Endowment for the Arts and American Musicological Society.

Governance follows models seen in professional bodies such as American Musicological Society and National Association for Music Education, with a board of directors, regional presidents, and committees reflecting ties to conservatories like Berklee College of Music and Manhattan School of Music. Membership categories mirror those of associations like Association of American Orchestras and include choral conductors from secondary schools linked to Interlochen Center for the Arts, collegiate conductors associated with Eastman School of Music, church musicians serving parishes like First Church of Christ, Scientist and community choral leaders from organizations such as GALA Choruses. The roster has featured notable members including conductors G. Wallace Woodworth, Helmuth Rilling, David Lang, Paul Hillier, and educators connected to Teachers College, Columbia University and Northwestern University.

Major national conventions draw presenters and performers from ensembles like The Crossing, Pacific Chorale, Los Angeles Master Chorale, King's College Choir, Cambridge, and soloists appearing at venues such as Kennedy Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Signature events include honor choirs, state-level festivals, and national seminars that have hosted guest artists including Renée Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Jessye Norman, and composers commissioned by New Music USA and Meet the Composer. The association coordinates regional conferences modeled on gatherings like Tanglewood Music Center and collaborates with festivals such as Spoleto Festival USA, Aldeburgh Festival, and academic symposia at Princeton University and Yale School of Music.

Professional development initiatives parallel graduate programs at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Rice University Shepherd School of Music, and continuing-education models like Royal Conservatory of Music. Programs include conducting workshops, score study seminars, and pedagogy sessions led by figures from Curtis Institute of Music, Conservatoire de Paris, and Sibelius Academy. The association's training pathways intersect with credentialing and certification practices in organizations such as National Association for Music Education and leverage resources connected to archives at Library of Congress and curricular frameworks influenced by works from Johannes Brahms, Antonio Vivaldi, and contemporary scores by Morten Lauridsen.

The association publishes journals, newsletters, and repertory lists that document scholarship akin to titles from Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and articles appearing in Journal of the American Musicological Society. Awards and recognitions honor conductors, composers, and educators comparable to prizes like the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Grammy Awards, and commissions supported by NEA Jazz Masters-level grants. Distinguished awards have celebrated composers such as Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, and Katherine Jenkins, and conductors whose careers intersect with ensembles like Bach Choir and institutions such as Royal Academy of Music.

Advocacy efforts align with cultural policy actors including National Endowment for the Arts, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and collaborations with community partners like El Sistema USA, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and arts education coalitions. Outreach initiatives support choral programs in K–12 schools, community choirs, and underserved areas with models related to youth programs at The Juilliard School and community ensembles like Seattle Men's Chorus. The association engages with public media outlets including NPR, PBS, and broadcasters partnering with orchestras such as Boston Symphony Orchestra to amplify choral music and commissioning activity from living composers like David Lang and Caroline Shaw.

Category:Choral music organizations