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

University of North Texas University of Texas at Austin
A Cappella Choir Concert Chorale

The University of North Texas A Cappella Choir The Concert Chorale is the premier choir within
was founded in 1938 and is the premier ensemble of the Butler School of Music and bears a rich tradition
the UNT Choral Studies Program, which comprises and legacy of the highest standards of musical excel-
eight student choirs. Conference appearances include lence. The Chorale has appeared in significant venues
2022 Southwestern ACDA Region, 2020 TMEA, and throughout the United States and has sung at previ-
five National ACDA Conferences (1999, 2005, 2013, ous ACDA regional conferences. This ensemble offers
2021, and 2025). International appearances include students an opportunity to study and perform a broad
choral festivals in 2009 and 2012. The A Cappella range of choral literature and to tour annually through-
Choir serves as the core of the one-hundred-and-fif- out the Texas region. The Chorale forms the core of
ty-voice UNT Grand Chorus, performing major cho- the symphonic chorus at UT, collaborating with other
ral-orchestral repertoire each spring semester. UT choirs and the UT Symphony Orchestra for per-
formances of significant choral/orchestral repertory.
Allen Hightower leads the graduate pro-
gram in choral conducting at the Uni- J. D. Burnett is director of choral activi-
versity of North Texas as the director of ties and head of the division of vocal arts
choral studies, where he oversees a choral at the University of Texas Butler School
program of eight ensembles. Hightower of Music, where he conducts the UT
serves as the conductor of the UNT A Cappella Choir Concert Chorale and guides the graduate
and the UNT Grand Chorus, which collaborates an- program in choral conducting. He is also the artistic di-
nually with the UNT Symphony Orchestra in perfor- rector of the two professional choirs Kinnara (Atlanta)
mances of major choral-orchestral works. As a mem- and Orpheus Chamber Singers (Dallas). He has held
ber of UNT’s early music faculty, he leads the vocal artistic appointments with the Dallas Symphony Cho-
ensemble Vox Aquilae, an artistic partner of the UNT rus, New Jersey Youth Chorus, Masterwork Chorus of
Baroque Orchestra. From 2000 to 2010 he served as New Jersey, New Jersey Chamber Singers, Houston
professor of music and director of choral studies at Masterworks Chorus, and Men’s Consort Houston.
Sam Houston State University. From 2010 to 2016, Burnett did undergraduate study at Stanford Universi-
Hightower held the Weston Noble Endowed Chair in ty and Oklahoma State University and holds advanced
Music at Luther College, where he served as conductor degrees in choral conducting from Westminster Choir
of the renowned Nordic Choir. College and the University of North Texas.

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2026 Volume 66 Number 5 159