American Choral Directors Association


The American Choral Directors Association, headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting the field of choral music. Its membership comprises approximately 22,000 choral directors representing over a million singers.
ACDA is organized in six regions: Midwestern, Eastern, Northwestern, Southern, Southwestern, and Western. Every year, conferences with topics pertaining to choral conductors are held. In even numbered years, a region conference is held in each region, and in odd numbered years, a national conference takes place in a major U.S. city. In 2021, ACDA organized its first virtual national conference in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the organization returned to an in person conference, with Cincinnati serving as the host city. Each year, a different university hosts the yearly ACDA chapter.
Their official publications are the Choral Journal, as well as the scientific research journal International Journal of Research in Choral Singing.
As of 2020, Robyn Hilger was serving as the organization's executive director.

Brock Commission

Since 1991, the ACDA awards the "Raymond W. Brock Memorial Commission" to "a recognized composer to write a choral composition in an effort to perpetuate quality choral repertoire."
YearComposerTitleOrchestrationDurationNotes
1991Theron KirkO For A Thousand Tongues
1993Carlisle FloydA Time to Dance
1994Daniel E. GawthropSing a Mighty Song
1995Daniel PinkhamAlleluia for the Waters
1996James MulhollandThat I Shall Never Look Upon Thee More
1997Stephen PaulusGod Be With Us
1997Gian Carlo MenottiJacob’s Prayer
1998Samuel AdlerA Psalm Trilogy
1999Gwyneth WalkerI Thank You God
1999Adolphus HailstorkThe God of Glory Thunders
2000David BrunnerThe Circles of Our Lives
2001Eric WhitacreLeonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine10 min
2002Richard NancePsalm 36
2003René ClausenMemorial
2004Z. Randall StroopeWe Behold Once Again the Stars
2005Morten LauridsenNocturnes
2006Mack WilbergDances to Life
2007David ConteThe Nine Muses
2008Eleanor Joanne DaleyLife's Mirror
2009Dominick ArgentoCenotaph
2010Joan SzymkoAll Works of Love
2011Steven SametzThree Mystical Choruses
2012Chen YiDistance can’t keep us two apartA capella mixed choir5 minText by Wang Bo
2013Steven StuckyTake Him, EarthSATB choir and 9 instruments13 min
2014Alice ParkerThe Definition of BeautySSAA, unaccompanied4:45 min
2015Jake HeggieStop this Day and Night with MeSATBBB, unaccompanied
2016Ola GjeiloThe Riverchoir, piano and string quartet
2017J.A.C. RedfordHomingMixed chorus and orchestra28 min
2018Tarik O'ReganAll Things CommonAcapella SATB5 min
2019Jake RunestadA Silence Haunts MeSATB choir and piano11:30 minText by Todd Boss
2020Ivo AntogniniThere is that in me
2021Bob ChilcottSongs My Heart Has Taught Me
2022Ēriks EšenvaldsStopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
2023Jennifer HigdonThe Absence
2024Andre J ThomasIn Time of Silver Rain