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Join us on October 9-10, 2026 in Asheville, NC! We welcome composer and conductor Jake Runestad as our headlining clinician at First Baptist Church Asheville. Friday night will feature a performance celebrating the Music of Appalachia!
Jake Runestad’s new Mountain Songs will be sung by area high school and collegiate singers led by the composer himself and spotlight local bluegrass artists Josh Goforth and Zoe & Cloyd. The weekend will also highlight fabulous invited choirs and speakers from around the state. You won’t want to miss it!
Jake Runestand
Jake Runestand
Considered “one of the best of the younger American composers” (Chicago Tribune), EMMY®-winning and GRAMMY®-nominated composer and conductor Jake Runestad has received commissions and performances from leading ensembles and organizations such as VOCES8, Washington National Opera, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Munich Radio Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, the Pacific Symphony & Chorale, Kantorei (Denver), True Concord Voices & Orchestra, the National Chorus of Korea, the Bavarian Radio Choir, the Netherlands Radio Choir, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Seraphic Fire, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, and many more. “The Hope of Loving,” the first album dedicated to Jake’s choral music, recorded by professional American choir Conspirare, received a GRAMMY® nomination. In 2019, Jake became one of the youngest composers ever awarded the prestigious Raymond C. Brock commission by the American Choral Directors Association. “Earth Symphony,” Jake’s ground-breaking choral symphony written with librettist Todd Boss, earned a 2022 EMMY® Award for musical composition. Jake’s visceral music and charismatic personality have fostered a busy schedule of commissions, residencies, workshops, and conducting engagements, enabling him to share his passion for creativity, expressivity, and community with musicians around the world.
Dubbed a “choral rockstar” by American Public Media, Jake is one of the most frequently performed composers of concert music. His thoughtful and compelling works “that speak to some of the most pressing and moving issues of our time” (Star Tribune), have been heard in thousands of performances across the globe. Jake Runestad holds a Master’s degree in composition from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University where he studied with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts. Find out more at: JakeRunestad.com
Our Vision:
Our Vision:
NC ACDA enriches our diverse lives and empowers communities through the transformative nature of the choral arts
Our Mission:
Our Mission:
NC ACDA invests in the development and growth of the choral arts through exceptional experiences in artistry, innovation, diversity, and leadership.
Dedicated to Advancement & Enrichment.
Dedicated to Advancement & Enrichment.
The North Carolina Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (NC ACDA) is a non-profit organization whose membership is composed of around 400 choral musicians from school, college, university, church, community, professional groups and the music industry. NC ACDA is dedicated to the advancement and enrichment of the choral art throughout the state of North Carolina.
NC ACDA is part of the American Choral Directors Association, one of the world's largest professional organizations for choral musicians with a membership of over 18,000 directors representing one million singers.
Membership in NC ACDA is attained through membership in the national American Choral Directors Association.
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Become a member
Become a member
For over 50 years, the American Choral Directors Association has been the preeminent association for choral conductors throughout the United States.
ACDA is all about professionals like you! Our members teach choral music in public and private schools - kindergarten through senior high school - and at the college and university levels. They conduct a variety of choral groups, including boy choirs, children's choirs, men's and women's choruses, junior and senior high school choirs, college and university choruses, ethnic choirs, vocal-jazz ensembles, and symphony choruses. They also conduct choirs in their communities and in their places of worship.
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