April 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM - Carnegie Hall

Saturday, April 11, 2026 1:00 PM

Michael Barrett, Guest Conductor

Cameron LaBarr, Guest Conductor

André Thomas, Guest Conductor

Susan LaBarr, Composer-in-Residence

Enhanced by stunning artistic projections, this performance showcases the National Symphonic Chorus with a program of gospel and spirituals, led by choral legend André Thomas.

The first half of the concert will highlight the National Concert Chorus, including works by Michael Barrett and composer-in-residence, Susan LaBarr. Featuring music from throughout the world, this program celebrates the power of music in bringing people together.

MICHAEL BARRETT, GUEST CONDUCTOR

Michael Joseph Barrett is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Pretoria (South Africa), the conductor of the renowned Tuks Camerata and a Senior Lecturer in Choral Conducting in the Department of Music. His compositions and arrangements have been performed throughout the world, and his arrangements of traditional South African songs are especially popular. Michael has won many choir competitions and regularly adjudicates and presents workshops on South African Music both nationally and abroad. The University of Pretoria (Tuks) Camerata is one of South Africa’s finest choral ensembles, having won many accolades and awards over the years. Michael has been the conductor of the Tuks Camerata since 2013 and he regularly attends symposia and conferences all over the world to remain at the forefront of choral music education.

CAMERON LABARR, GUEST CONDUCTOR

Cameron LaBarr is director of choral studies and the Clif and Gail Smart professor in music at Missouri State University where is the conductor of the Missouri State University Chorale, Men’s Chorus, Chamber Choir and Grand Chorus. Additionally, Dr. LaBarr leads a comprehensive graduate choral conducting program. He earned the M.M. and D.M.A. from the University of North Texas where he studied with Jerry McCoy and Richard Sparks. He has completed further study in choral music and conducting with Simon Carrington and Alice Parker. Dr. LaBarr has an international reputation as conductor, clinician, and choral juror across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, and serves as board member for the International Federation for Choral Music. Dr. LaBarr’s recent engagements include concerts and events in Indonesia, France, Chile, Argentina, South Korea, South Africa, and Spain. Dr. LaBarr curates two choral series with Santa Barbara Music Publishing and Walton Music, where he champions emerging and established composers, and is additionally published by Colla Voce, Choristers Guild, Walton Music, and GIA Publications. Commercially released recordings can be found on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. Dr. LaBarr is co-author of the book The Melodic Voice: Conversations with Alice Parker.

He has previously held university choral positions at Lee University (Cleveland, Tennessee) and the University of North Texas. Dr. LaBarr has been awarded conducting fellowships at the Yale International Choral Festival, the Sarteano (Italy) Chamber Choir Workshop, and was named a Salzburg Fellow in April 2014, where he participated in the Salzburg Seminar: Conflict Transformation through Peace-Building and the Arts.

Choirs under the direction of Dr. LaBarr have been selected for performance at the Tennessee Music Education Association Conference, Tennessee ACDA Conference, Missouri Music Educators Association Conference, Piccolo Spoleto Festival, National Collegiate Choral Organization, National ACDA, Southwest ACDA, Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses National Seminar, the China International Chorus Festival, the IFCM World Voices Conference the Tolosa Choral Contest (Basque Country, Spain), and the Jeju International Choral Festival (South Korea). Recently, Dr. LaBarr has been a jury member for the Asia Grand Prix, the Bali International Choral Festival (Indonesia), the China International Choral Festival, and the Tolosa Choral Contest (Basque Country, Spain). Dr. LaBarr has served as artistic director of international choral festivals in the Czech Republic, Italy, France, and Ireland, and has conducted concerts of the MSU Chorale in South Africa (2016 and 2022), Scandinavia (2018), China (2018), Spain (2021), Canada (2023), and across the United States.

ANDRÉ THOMAS, GUEST CONDUCTOR

André J Thomas is an associated artist with the London Symphony Orchestra. Thomas is an Emeritus Professor of Music at Florida State University. He was visiting Professor of Choral Conducting at Yale University from 2020-2022. He previously served as a faculty member at the University of Texas, Austin. He is a highly respected guest conductor, leading numerous prestigious orchestras and choirs worldwide, a testament to his extensive experience and reputation in the field. Thomas has excelled as a conductor and distinguished himself as a composer/arranger, enriching the choral music repertoire with his creative contributions. Hinshaw Music and Gentry Company, Mark Foster Music Company, Fitzsimons Company, Lawson Gould, Earthsong, Choristers Guild, and Heritage Music Company publish his compositions and arrangements. Dr. Thomas has produced two instructional videos. His book "Way Over in Beulah Lan'…Understanding and Performing the Negro Spiritual" has quickly become a significant source in this area of study. In March 2017, ACDA presented Thomas with its highest honor, the Robert Shaw Award and Yale University School of Music presented Thomas with the Samuel Simons Sanford Medal. It is the most prestigious honor conferred by the Yale School of Music. He is a Past National President of ACDA.

SUSAN LABARR, COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE

Susan LaBarr (b. 1981) is a composer and choral editor living and working in Springfield, Missouri. Her compositions are published by Walton Music, Morningstar Music, and Santa Barbara Music Publishing. Susan has completed commissions for choirs worldwide, most notably Seraphic Fire, the National ACDA Women’s Choir Consortium, and the Texas Choral Director’s Association’s Director’s Chorus. She served as the Missouri Composer Laureate for 2012 and 2013. Her arrangement of Quem pastores laudavere appeared on New York Polyphony’s 2014 Grammy- nominated album, Sing Thee Nowell. Her work for mezzo soprano and piano, Little Black Book, was premiered at Carnegie Hall in October 2019.

Central to Susan’s musical vocabulary is the knowledge she gained from studying with Alice Parker at her home in Hawley, Massachusetts, where she attended the Composer’s Workshop and Melody Studies Workshop. Susan attended Missouri State University in Springfield, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in music and a Master of Music in music theory. Susan, her husband Cameron, and their son Elliott reside in Springfield, Missouri, where Cameron is the Director of Choral Studies at Missouri State University and Susan works as Editor of Walton Music.

PROGRAM

Saturday April 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM
CARNEGIE HALL

National Concert Chorus
Michael Barrett, guest conductor
Cameron LaBarr, guest conductor

Arr. MICHAEL BARRETT and RALF SCHMITT Indodana
Arr. SUSAN LABARR Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
MOKALE KOAPENG and RODERICK WILLIAMS Khutšo
SUSAN LABARR Where the Light Begins
SUSAN LABARR Grace Before Sleep
SUSAN LABARR The Cardinal and the Roller
Arr. MICHAEL BARRETT Tshela Moya / Ke nna yo Morena
Arr. MICHAEL BARRETT Modimo

National Symphonic Chorus
André Thomas, guest conductor

MICHAEL ABELS How Majestic
TRADITIONAL Arr. ANDRÉ THOMAS The Drinking Gourd
TRADITIONAL Arr. LINDA TWINE Wade In the Water
MOSES HOGAN Ride On King Jesus
RICHARD SMALLWOOD arr. CAROL CYMBALA Total Praise
BRANDON BOYD Come and Go To That Land
ANDRÉ THOMAS Agnus Dei