The National Student Conducting Masterclasses received outstanding applicant pools at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Through a competitive selection process, applicants were assessed on elements including gestural skill, rehearsal technique, and score preparation. The selected participants have the opportunity to receive personalized guidance from esteemed choral directors while conducting a live ensemble.
The Undergraduate Masterclass will be held on Thursday, March 20 from 10:30am-12:30pm and the Graduate Masterclass will be held on Thursday, March 20 from 4:00pm-6:00pm. Both activities will take place at the Moody Auditorium.
Meet the Undergraduate Student Conductors:
Peyton Caleb Bowditch is an aspiring music educator and choral conductor currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Peyton is committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity in the musical arts. As an African American male and member of the LGBTQIA+ community, he brings a unique perspective to advocacy for underrepresented communities in music education. Peyton was one of only four participants chosen for the NCACDA Undergraduate Conducting Masterclass in 2023, guided by renowned conductor and composer Dr. Craig Hella Johnson. Peyton has also received achievements, including the John Philip Sousa Award and the Patrick S. Gilmore Leadership Award. At UNCG, Peyton serves as an ambassador for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Music Director for the Iota Epsilon chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, and Choral Representative on the NAFMEC Board. He looks forward to a long career driven by the vision of creating spaces where all voices are heard and appreciated, with respect for our individual backgrounds and identities.
Isabella Pinilla is a senior Choral Music Education major at Florida State University, where she is also pursuing a specialized studies certificate in Voice Performance. Throughout her academic career, she has prioritized exceptional leadership and musicianship. She currently serves as President of the Gospel Choir, as well as Assistant Music Director and Performance Director of the FSU AcaBelles. She also served as Outreach Chair for FSU’s chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) from 2023-2024, helping recruit new members and foster community among future music educators.
Isabella’s diverse musical experiences extend to solo performances and arranging for various ensembles. Her passion for music education is reflected in her fieldwork, including leading rehearsals at middle and high schools and receiving masterclass feedback from distinguished choral faculty. As an aspiring high school chorus teacher, Isabella is committed to empowering the next generation of musicians through inclusive, collaborative, and impactful music-making. She believes in the transformative power of choral music to build community and create meaningful artistic experiences.
Reid Simmons is a conductor and organist from the Greater Philadelphia area. He is currently finishing his studies at West Chester University of Pennsylvania for two bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Organ Performance. Simmons serves as the Director of Music at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. Here, Simmons conducts the choir, plays organ for services, oversees the music program, and has founded, produces, and conducts the annual community choral Love Concert. The Love Concert was created to inspire people of all backgrounds to join together and produce a secular concert themed around spreading love, acceptance, and advocacy in the community and the world. In addition to his conducting at Holy Trinity, Simmons has conducted the WCU Orpheus Singers and Wind Symphony. In 2022, he received the Lois Williams Concert Choir Award; an award given to a strong choral ensemble leader who goes above and beyond to demonstrate choral and musical excellence. Outside of conducting, Simmons serves as the secretary of the Philadelphia American Guild of Organists. His dedication to organ, church music, and choral singing has allowed Simmons to perform numerous solo and ensemble recitals in the Greater Philadelphia area, multiple European countries, and throughout South Korea.
Thien-An Truong is a dedicated second-year vocal performance student at San Jose State University, where he has a passion for teaching voice and choral music, along with a profound respect for the human voice as an instrument.
Recognized for his talent and potential, Thien-An was selected as one of only four participants to conduct at the Western Division ACDA Conference undergraduate masterclass in Pasadena, CA with renowned conductor/clinician Dr. Joseph Huszti during his first year.
This past summer, he spent a week with Cascade Conducting in Tacoma, WA, assisting Dr. Geoffrey Boers. This experience allowed him to study major works and explore new conducting and vocal pedagogy techniques. During his senior year of high school, he served as student assistant director of the Christopher High School Chamber and Bella Voce choirs, conducting rehearsals, concerts and playing accompanimental percussion. Driven by a desire to inspire and empower singers, Thien-An plans to pursue a career as a conductor, specializing in orchestral-choral works, operas, and choral ensembles.
Meet the Graduate Student Conductors:
Youngeun Kim, a native of South Korea, is a second-year doctoral student in choral conducting at the University of Arizona, where she studies with Elizabeth Schauer, Nicole Davis, and Thomas Cockrell. As a graduate teaching assistant, she currently serves as the assistant conductor of the University Community Chorus. Additionally, she is the music director at First United Methodist Church and the assistant conductor at Tucson Masterworks Chorale.
Youngeun’s review of Blue Bird by Jungsun Lee was published in Choral Journal in May 2024. She also presented on the Korean female composer Hyo-won Woo at the University of Arizona’s DEI Choral Literature Intensive in June 2024 as a guest lecturer. Furthermore, she was awarded the Medici Scholarship in 2024, along with several other scholarships. In 2022, Youngeun was one of three conductors selected to conduct in the Southern ACDA Regional Conference conducting masterclass with Dr. Eugene Rogers.
Youngeun completed a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Ewha Woman’s University in South Korea, where she also earned a Master of Music in Choral Conducting. She later earned a second master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Louisville.
Sydney Mukasa is a conductor, tenor, and pianist from Baltimore, Maryland. He is currently in his third year of doctoral study in choral conducting at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance. Studying in the studio of Dr. Eugene Rogers, Sydney has recently served at the University as Music Director of Arts Chorale, Assistant Conductor of the Men’s Glee Club, Chorus Director of the Opera Studio’s production of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, and Music Director of the prison-outreach chamber choir, Out of the Blue.
Sydney received a bachelor’s degree in Music from Harvard University in 2018, and enjoyed singing with The Harvard University Choir and the jazz acapella group, The Harvard Din & Tonics. Sydney also conducted several musical theater productions while studying at Harvard, including Sweeney Todd in the Oberon Theater. More recently, he graduated in 2022 with a master’s degree in choral conducting from Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music; in addition to co-directing the Battell Chapel Choir, he sang with several Yale choral ensembles including Yale Schola Cantorum under the direction of David Hill. He looks forward to lending his training and diverse experience to conducting works for choir, musical theater, opera, and orchestra.
Kyra Stahr is a visionary conductor, educator, and vocalist passionate about the transformative power of choral music. A DMA candidate in Choral Conducting at the University of Miami, she serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Assistant Conductor of Seraphic Fire. Stahr is Instructor of Record for choral conducting I and the premier treble ensemble, Bella Voce. She believes in the transformative power of choral singing and motivates ensembles with authenticity, courage, and determination.
An active guest conductor, clinician, and presenter, she has shared her expertise at international conferences, including the 2023 World Symposium on Choral Music, the 2025 ACDA National conference, and TMEA 2025 conference. In 2022, she was selected for the ACDA Eastern Graduate Conducting Masterclass. She holds an M.M. in Choral Music from the University of Southern California and a B.M. in Vocal Performance and Music Education from Miami University. Upcoming presentations include FLACDA, FMEA, TMEA, and National ACDA. Stahr co-founded and co-hosts the podcast conduct(her) with her sister McKenna Stenson. Conduct(her) amplifies the voices of women conductors and composers while exploring the gender divide in the choral music field.
Alissa Ruth Suver has an active career as a teacher, conductor, and singer. She sings with professional choral ensembles around the country, including the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Skylark, Ensemble Altera, Conspirare, Ensemble Iona, ensemble viii, The Crossing, and True Concord. In the past year, she has been selected for conducting masterclasses at Eastern ACDA (Jason Max Ferdinand, clinician) and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival (Jeffrey Douma, clinician). She also has a wealth of middle and high school choral teaching experience, most recently at Timber Creek High School in Fort Worth, Texas. When not making music, Alissa enjoys running, cooking, swimming, reading, exploring farmers’ markets, and doing yoga. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Education from Capital University in her home state of Ohio (Lynda Hasseler, DCA), and she is currently pursuing her Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting at Baylor University in Waco, TX (Kristina MacMullen, DCA), where she lives with her husband Brent and their pudgy cat Frankie.
ACDA thanks Jeffrey Douma, Derrick Fox, Sharon J. Paul, and Jule Yu for their service as clinicians for these students.
ACDA is grateful to the following conductors who generously offered their time and expertise to the application adjudication process:
Scott Farthing, Saddleback College
Eduardo Garcia-Novelli, University of Kansas
Mary Hopper, Wheaton College Conservatory of Music
Allyssa Jones, University of South Florida
Brian Kittredge, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Nicole Lamartine, Central Washington University
Jami Lercher, Baldwin Wallace University
Angel M. Vázquez-Ramos, California State University, Bakersfield
Brandon Williams, Rutgers University
We extend a special thank you to Shawna Stewart and the Biola University Chorale for their generous service as the demonstration choir at the 2025 ACDA National Conference.
Additional opportunities for student members can be found on the ACDA Student Activities page by CLICKING HERE.
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