Spirited Conversations with Jason Max Ferdinand - September 20, 2021

Eavesdrop on Atlanta Master Chorale Artistic Director Eric Nelson and the renowned conductor, professor, composer and speaker whose choir “broke the ACDA”, Jason Max Ferdinand. The Aeolians of Oakwood University is known as one of the finest choirs in the nation, and our discussion will include what it is like to lead such a prestigious ensemble and the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the choral arts. Jason also recently launched The Jason Max Ferdinand Singers and he will give us an inside look at what is involved in getting a professional ensemble off the ground. This episode of "Spirited Conversations: Behind the Scores" was broadcast live on September 20, 2021. One of America’s finest young conductors, Jason Max Ferdinand is the director of choral activities, professor, and music department chair at Oakwood University and founding artistic director of The Jason Max Ferdinand Singers (founded in 2021). As director of the Aeolians of Oakwood University, as evidenced by noteworthy awards, he has distinguished himself on the national and international choral stages. In 2017, he earned the Outstanding Director and Choir of the World awards at the Llangollen International Musical Festival, in Wales. In 2018, his choir won three gold medals at the 10th World Choir Games held in South Africa, and also won the competition’s overall championship in both the Spirituals and University Choir categories. The Aeolians made their first appearance at the national conference of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) in 2019 and the term “they broke ACDA” was used to describe their outstanding presentation. He is a published composer with GIA publications, and is exhilarated about his new choral series with Walton Music. In 2018, he was named “Teacher of the Year” by Oakwood University. Teaching With Heart is a new book released by Ferdinand and is a useful choral compendium for all choral directors. Ferdinand holds non-terminal degrees from Oakwood University, Morgan State University, and a doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Maryland. www.AtlantaMasterChorale.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The official YouTube channel of the Atlanta Master Chorale | Our Mission: To inspire and enrich the lives of our community through the performance of inspirational choral music, to sing at the highest level of choral artistry, and to be a standard of excellence among performing arts organizations. -Visit our website: https://www.atlantamasterchorale.org/ Connect with us on Facebook:   / atlantamasterchorale   Follow us on Instagram:   / atlantamasterchorale   And subscribe to our YouTube channel to see our latest and future live performances.