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2026 ACDA Southern Region Conference March 4-7, 2026 Memphis, Tennessee

H eadliner/P r esiden t ’ s C onc er t
Headliner/President’s Concert

Headliner a performer who leads his singers into a diverse and
innovative future.

Ansan City Choir (South Korea) President’s Concert

Requiem for Colour:

A Journey through Lament and Joy

Requiem for Colour: A Journey through Lament and Joy
is more than a typical requiem. It is a journey from
West Africa to present-day America told through mu-
sic, spoken word, and powerful imagery. Composed in
the Western tradition, the work skillfully incorporates
Ansan City Choir was founded in 1995 and has Black idiomatic styles to include spirituals, jazz, R&B,
attracted attention for its diverse repertoire from the hip-hop, and gospel to mourn the conflicts and cele-
Renaissance to the contemporary, with original com- brate the successes of Black Americans. This powerful
positions showcasing the music and traditions of Kore- opus reckons with our past and current societal vices
an culture. The choir receives praise for its demanding of injustice; yet amid the despair, life is renewed as we
season of over seventy concerts that are innovative and celebrate new beginnings and hope for a better tomor-
diverse. Ansan City Choir has been invited to promi- row. Requiem for Colour will be performed by the 2026
nent choral events such as the World Choir Symposium Collegiate Honor Choir, accompanied by the Belmont
(2002 US and 2017 Spain), the Vatican Concert (2011), University Symphony Orchestra, two dynamic orators,
and the 2012 and 2019 ACDA National Conferences. a soprano soloist who will melt your heart, and a tenor
At home and abroad, the Ansan City Choir proudly soloist who will empower your heart.
promotes the heritage of the Korean choral tradition.
After celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in 2025, the André J. Thomas is an associate artist
Ansan City Choir is pioneering a new path of choral with the London Symphony Orchestra
artistry with conductor Dr. Jihoon Park. and emeritus professor of music at The
Florida State University. He served as
Jihoon Park is a well-respected compos- visiting professor of choral conducting
er and the conductor of the Ansan City at Yale University (2020–2022) and has been a facul-
Choir. He has composed choral music ty member at the University of Texas, Austin. A re-
in various styles that include traditional nowned guest conductor, Thomas has led prestigious
settings as well as others that incorporate orchestras and choirs worldwide. He is also a distin-
his Korean heritage. Park has conducted professional guished composer and arranger, with works published
and semi-professional choirs in Korea and guest con- by Gentry, Hinshaw, Lawson Gould, Boosey & Hawkes,
ducted in venues across the United States, Europe, and Heritage Music Press, and others. His book, Way Over
the UK. Park has received favorable reviews for his ro- in Beulah Lan’... Understanding and Performing the Negro Spir-
bust programming, which is balanced with repertoire itual, is a significant contribution to the field. Thomas
that showcases his musical sensitivity. As a conductor has received numerous honors, including the Robert
and composer, he will continue his development into Shaw Award from ACDA (2017) and the Samuel Si-

100 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2026 Volume 66 Number 5