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

mons Sanford Medal from Yale University. He is a past first African American ACDA International Conductors
national president of ACDA. Exchange Program Fellow (2016), and being the first
African American recipient of the Presidential Faculty
Achievement Award (2023), the highest honor bestowed
Belmont University to a faculty member at Belmont University.
Chorale

Belmont University
Symphony Orchestra

Chorale is the flagship classical choral ensemble of
the School of Music at Belmont University. Formed in
1970, it is also one of the earliest performing ensembles
in Belmont’s musical history. This auditioned, mixed
ensemble performs diverse literature from all genres. Symphony Orchestra is a full symphony orchestra of
The Belmont Chorale has been recognized for its mu- the finest string, woodwind, brass, and percussion mu-
sical excellence with performances at MENC conven- sicians on campus. The Symphony Orchestra seeks to
tions and the Southern ACDA Region. The ensemble prepare classical and commercial music majors for suc-
tours annually, and international performances include cessful careers performing professional-level repertoire
the St. Moritz Festival in Switzerland (1985 and 1987); that includes classical historic eras, contemporary clas-
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia sical, globally influenced compositions, jazz, popular,
(1989); England (2004); the Republic of China (2007); and folkloric styles of music. In addition to its annual
Italy (2011); Latvia and Estonia (2015); the Republic of performance in Belmont’s “Christmas at Belmont,” the
Ghana (2019); and Puerto Rico (2024). Symphony Orchestra has performed with music celebri-
ties Andrea Bocelli, Trisha Yearwood, Cody Fry, CeCe
Jeffery L. Ames serves as the Southern Winans, and Tracy Silverman.
ACDA Region president, director of
choral activities, and full professor at Bel- Christopher H. Fashun is a versatile con-
mont University. A published composer ductor, performer, and music educator
and writer, Ames specializes in composing known for his ability to conduct and per-
works that are from the heart. His literary publications form across classical, popular, and folkloric
focus on choral music in the concert gospel genre as styles. A champion of new music, Fashun
well as choral music in the Western tradition composed has commissioned choral works, conducted the Oregon
by modern Black composers. Ames holds the honor of and Iowa all-state orchestras, and presents frequently at
being the first recipient of the prestigious ACDA James national and state music education conferences. A distin-
Mulholland Choral Music Fellowship (2005), being the guished recipient of a 2019 Fulbright Award in the U.S.

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2026 Volume 66 Number 5 101