Kotsonis and Robinson to join the ACDA Advocacy and Collaboration National Standing Committee

Amy Kotsonis and Demetrius Robinson have been appointed to serve two-year terms as members of the ACDA Advocacy and Collaboration National Standing Committee beginning July 1, 2025.

Amy Kotsonis is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of New Hampshire, where she conducts Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, and teaches choral methods. She also serves as conductor and instructor at the Summer Youth Music School at the university. Prior to her appointment at UNH, Amy was Associate Professor of Choral Ensembles and Music Education at the University of Northern Iowa, where she conducted UNI Singers and Cecilians, and taught conducting and music education courses. Her choirs have toured internationally to Germany, Greece, and Ireland. An active clinician, she has worked with colleges, high schools, and middle schools as well as conducted honor choirs throughout the United States. Amy has presented regionally, nationally and internationally including the Phenomenon of Singing International Symposium, the American Choral Directors Association National Conference, and various state music education conferences, and her research is published in the International Journal of Music Education. In 2022 she was awarded the Iowa Choral Directors Association Honors Initiative Award for Collegiate Directing. 

Amy has served as the Artistic Director for the Metropolitan Chorale and UNI Children’s Choir in Iowa, Conductor of Soho Voce and Assistant Conductor for the Soharmoniums in New York City, and several church choirs. Previously, she was Assistant Conductor, Director of Workshops, and Satellite School Teacher for the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, and taught in public schools in New York City and Boston.Amy completed a Ph.D. in Music Education and Choral Conducting at Florida State University, a Master of Arts in Choral Conducting and Music History at the University of New Hampshire, and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education at New York University.

Dr. Demetrius Robinson, a native of Mobile, Alabama, serves as an Assistant Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Music Education Coordinator at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas. Demetrius received a Bachelor of Music Education degree in Vocal and Instrumental Music and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Southern Mississippi, respectively. He also completed an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership at William Carey University and a Ph.D. in Music Education at the University of Memphis. In addition, Demetrius received the Future Music Faculty Fellowship from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2022.

Demetrius is in demand as a choral clinician, researcher, consultant, and worship leader throughout the United States. He has presented workshops on music literacy, student leadership in the music classroom, equity in the music classroom, effectuation in choral programs, motivating music learners, and performance practices for vocal music in the Black church. In 2018, Demetrius founded Robinson Music Enterprise LLC, a versatile music company, to provide music consultations, instruction (private and group lessons), and music publishing services (Canorous Music Publishing). His compositions have been performed during numerous honor choir concerts and conferences, including the 2022 Bent But Not Broken inaugural conference.

Highly regarded as a versatile music educator, conductor, composer, tubist, and lyric baritone, Demetrius has performed with the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, the Meridian Symphony, and the Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra. His professional memberships include the National Association for Music Education, the American Eurhythmics Society, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Music Publishers Association of the United States, the Association of Independent Music Publishers, the Society of Composers Inc., Phi Mu Alpha Music Sinfonia, and the American Choral Directors Association.

Read the Advocacy & Collaboration Committee Blog on ChoralNet.