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2026 ACDA Southwestern Region Conference March 4-7, 2026 Albuquerque, New Mexico

Headliner/Opening Night Concert
H eadliner/O pening Nigh t C onc er t

Headliner

APOLLO5

the Concert Choir draws its membership from all ma-
jors across campus and is proud to celebrate a long tra-
dition of musical excellence established and cultivated
by past conductors, including Douglas McEwen, Eph
Ehly, Bradley Ellingboe, and John Clark. Highlights
Celebrating its sixteenth year in 2026, APOLLO5 of the Concert Choir include their performance with
continues to thrill, move, and inspire audiences as one the NM Philharmonic of Mahler’s Resurrection Sympho-
of Britain’s smallest but most impressive vocal groups. ny No. 2 in C minor, a special concert presentation cu-
Comprising a soprano, mezzo-soprano, two tenors, rated by Dr. Javier Marín-López (University of Jaén,
and a bass, the ensemble has become known for its abil- Spain) Sacred Choral Music and Ritual Dance on the
ity to connect with intimacy and directness, showcasing Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a collaboration with
with dynamic and distinctive sound how powerful five the UNMSO to present Antonio Estevez’s Cantata Cri-
voices alone can be. With a versatile approach to music olla, and numerous world premieres, including Andrea
programming and a diverse repertoire, the group’s five Clearfield’s Singing Into Presence and Kile Smith’s Where
voices bring the music of five centuries to life. Hailed the Mind is Without Fear.
by BBC Music Magazine as “faultless” and Classic FM
as “exceptionally beautiful singing,” APOLLO5 per- David Edmonds is director of choral
forms throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia studies at the University of New Mexico,
to consistent critical acclaim. As part of the VOCES8 where he directs the UNM Concert Choir
Foundation, APOLLO5 delivers an ambitious educa- and teaches undergraduate and graduate
tion program to deliver workshops, masterclasses, and conducting and choral repertoire. Since
concerts to over forty thousand young people annually. 2023 he has also served as artistic director and conductor
of Dolce Canto, a community-based choir in Missoula,
Montana. Edmonds led the New Mexico Symphonic
Welcome to Albuquerque Concert Chorus as interim artistic director for their 2023–2024
season. Choirs under his direction have presented invit-
ed performances at regional conferences of both ACDA
University of New Mexico and NAfME. Edmonds served as the ACDA national
Concert Choir R&R chair for student activities from 2015 to 2021.
His own original compositions and arrangements are
published by Alliance Music Publications, Colla Voce,
The University of New Mexico choirs boast a mu- and MorningStar Music Publishers. Edmonds obtained
sic-making history of over one hundred years. As the advanced degrees in conducting from the University of
flagship choral ensemble and ambassadors for UNM, North Texas and Westminster Choir College.

130 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2026 Volume 66 Number 5