Black Composers Concert

Texas Choirs
Butler School voice, harp, & flute students
Leach Crocetto, soprano
Liliana Guerrero, soprano
Donnie Ray Albert, baritone 

Program to include

cHORAL selections

Concert Chorale

Nathaniel Dett
A Chariot Jubilee

arr. William Dawson
My Lord, What a Mourning

arr. Roland Carter
Lift Every Voice and Sing

Tenor Bass Chorus

arr. Stacey Gibbs
My Good Lord's a Done a Been Here

Treble Chorus

Rosephanye Powell
To Sit and Dream 

Combined Choirs

arr. Brandon Waddles
Ride the Chariot

SOLO Performances

Music By:
William Grant Still
Margaret Bonds
Florence Price
Adolphus Hailstork
Joseph Bologne
Valerie Coleman
Leslie Adams
Charlie Smalls
Uzee Brown, Jr. 
Sylvia Hollifield
Sister Rosetta Tharpe

About Jason Max Ferdinand

Jason Max Ferdinand currently serves as the director of choral activities at the University of Maryland, College Park, a role he assumed in the fall of 2022. Deeply appreciative of his mentor, Edward Maclary, who shaped the choral program for over two decades, Ferdinand is honored to continue this legacy. He is the founding artistic director of The Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, an ensemble known for its extraordinary talent. Prior to this, he held the position of director of choral activities, chair of the music department, and professor at Oakwood University, where he led the renowned Aeolians of Oakwood University.

An accomplished author and editor, Ferdinand has published Teaching with Heart: Tools for Addressing Societal Challenges Through Music under GIA, and oversees The Jason Max Ferdinand Choral Series, with works available through Walton Music and Gentry Publications. His calendar remains full with engagements as a guest conductor and lecturer at academic institutions, churches, and choral festivals around the world. 

As conductor of the Aeolians, Ferdinand garnered national and international recognition. In 2017, he received the Outstanding Director Award, and the Aeolians were named “Choir of the World” at the Llangollen International Musical Festival in Wales. The following year, his choir earned three gold medals and the overall championship at the 10th World Choir Games in South Africa, excelling in both the Spirituals and University Choir categories. That same year, Oakwood University honored him as Teacher of the Year. 

The Aeolians made history with their first performance at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Conference in 2019, an event marked by the phrase “they broke ACDA,” due to the overwhelming impact of their performance. In 2023, The Jason Max Ferdinand Singers were the featured ensemble at the ACDA National Conference and most recently performed at the prestigious BBC Proms. 

Ferdinand holds degrees from Oakwood University, Morgan State University, and the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned his doctorate in choral conducting. He actively serves on the boards of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and the American Choral Directors Association, Eastern Division.