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2025 ACDA National Conference March 18-22, 2025 Dallas, Texas

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Concert Events (Purple Track, Orange Track, Both Tracks) )
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Concert Session D
Thursday 10:15 am - 12:15 pm
Winspear Opera House
Thursday 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Meyerson Symphony Center
the World Symposium on Choral Music in Istanbul,
Turkey. In 2017, the University Singers won first place Thurman White Academy
in the renowned Marktoberdorf International Cham- Advanced Choir
ber Choir Competition. The choir’s recordings, Eve-
ning Hymn (2016), Heavenly Display (2020), and Requiem
(2023), have been featured on NPR’s With Heart and
Voice. The ensemble enjoys frequent collaborations
with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra and the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra.

Deanna Joseph is professor of music and
director of choral studies at the Georgia
State University School of Music, where
she conducts the University Singers and
leads the master’s program in choral con-
ducting. A recent review of her work states, “The choir
sings with great musicality, excellent intonation, clear The Thurman White Academy Advanced Choir
diction, and a healthy and beautiful pallet of tone col- has been under the direction of Athena Mertes since
ors” (The Choral Scholar). Joseph holds conducting de- 2015. Thurman White Academy is a Performing Arts
grees from the Eastman School of Music. She is the Magnet Middle School program that accepts students
founder and co-artistic director of the Atlanta Summer through a random lottery system. This seventh- and
Conducting Institute, a conducting master class that eight-grade ensemble consistently receives superior rat-
draws conductors from across the country. ings at choral festivals and competitions and regularly
performs as a guest choir with the Southern Nevada
Musical Arts Society. Their virtual choir performance
was featured at the 2022 Western ACDA Region Con-
ference, and they performed at the 2024 Western
ACDA Region Conference.

Athena Mertes is the director of choirs
at Thurman White Academy of the Per-
forming Arts in Henderson, Nevada.
She is a graduate of UNLV, where she
received a master’s in vocal performance

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2025 Volume 65 Number 5 27