ACDA Announces the Winner of the Julius Herford Dissertation Prize

Winner of the 2023 Julius Herford Dissertation Prize: Dr. Andrew Major for “Unsettlement Music”: Documentation and Inquiry in the Unaccompanied Choral Works of Ted Hearne”

The Julius Herford Dissertation Prize: Each year the Julius Herford Prize Subcommittee accepts nominations for the outstanding doctoral terminal research project in choral music. Projects are eligible if they comprise the principal research component of the degree requirements, whether the institution defines the project as a “dissertation,” “document,” “thesis,” or “treatise,” etc. Eligibility is limited to doctoral recipients whose degrees were conferred during the calendar year prior to the year of nomination. The submitted projects are evaluated entirely blind with regard to dissertator, assisting faculty, institution, and any other identifying material, by an unpaid panel of choral conductor-scholars. Dr. Major will receive a $1,000 cash prize and a commemorative plaque presented at the 2025 National ACDA Conference in Dallas.

From the abstract: “Through detailed analyses of eight of his “fervently political” works for unaccompanied choir, this document explores how Hearne illuminates style and challenges conviction in order to promote radical self-inquiry, defend truth, and embrace nuance and complexity by blurring lines of division and avoiding answers. An introduction to political music in the classical tradition and a brief biography with a general overview of the composer’s oeuvre are included…. the author explores ways that Hearne’s compositional approach extends to works without inherently political content or motivation while nonetheless maintaining its questioning spirit.”

Committee members’ comments include: “Clear, well-organized, and intellectually rigorous, the work could serve as a model for scholarship in the field and will undoubtedly serve as a foundational text for future research.” and “Excellent analyses” and “a deeply thought-out and researched paper.”

Dr. Major received his DMA in Choral Conducting from Northwestern University where his dissertation advisors included Dr. Donald Nally, Dr. Danuta Mirka, and Dr. Alan Pierson. He received an MM in Choral Conducting from Northwestern University, and a BA in Music, and a BS in Cell Biology and Neuroscience from Montana State University. He currently serves as Lecturer in Choral Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; as Artistic Director and Conductor of Roots in the Sky; and as Director of Music at Northminster Presbyterian Church of Evanston, IL. Dr. Major is also active as a professional singer with many Chicago area ensembles, including The Crossing.

Visit https://acda.org/about-us/awards-competitions/julius-herford-dissertation-prize for more information on the 2025 nominating period or click here.