Dr. Z. Randall Stroope is an American composer and conductor who has served as Professor of Music at three universities, conducted 47 all-state choirs, and directed over 40 times at Carnegie Hall. He has had performing ensembles twice on the American Choral Directors Association national convention, and numerous times on regional and state ACDAs. Internationally, in the last three years, Randall has had conducting engagements in Hong Kong, Rome, Barcelona, Singapore, Canterbury, Stockholm, Salzburg, Vancouver, Helsinki, and Dublin. He has performed music for mass at the Vatican at least once every year since 2008, and is the Artistic Director for two summer music festivals in Europe. He is an honorary board member of the Italian Choral Directors Association.

Randall’s composition teachers were Cecil Effinger and Normand Lockwood, both students of Nadia Boulanger, the famous French student of Gabriel Fauré. Randall has 190 choral works in print, including commissions for orchestras, soloists, choral ensembles, and works for combined forces. Recent commissions include the Raffles Singers (Singapore), Michigan Choral Conductors Consortium, Arlington Master Chorale, West Point Military Academy, Müller Chamber Choir (Taiwan), among others. Recordings of his works can be heard on Spotify, YouTube and his website (www.zrstroope.com).

Randall guest conducts full-time (and loves it) and composes from his home studios on Merritt Island, Florida and Sandia Park, New Mexico.

Jeffery Redding, the 2019 GRAMMY Music Educator Award Recipient, is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Dr. Redding has led his choirs in performances at national, regional, and state conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). His choirs have earned first place awards at Heritage Festivals of Gold in California, Chicago, New York and at the Festival of Spirituals in Washington D.C. While participating in the International Music Festival in Verona, Italy, his chorus from West Orange High School received the Gold Award for best choir, with Dr. Redding honored as top director.

Nationally, Dr. Redding is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician. He has conducted the ACDA National High School Honor Choir, the Central Division ACDA Honor Choir, and the North Central Division ACDA Honor Choir, the Eastern Division ACDA Honor Choir, the Southern Division ACDA Honor Choir and All- State and Honor choirs in approximately forty- five states. In 2014, Dr. Redding was the only American adjudicator at the International Choral Festival, Verona, Italy. Additionally, he conducted at the TAISM Festival of Choirs in Muscat, Oman. He was the Artistic Director for Limerick Sings International Choral Festival in Limerick, Ireland in 2018. In 2019, he conducted the Alaska All-State Treble Choir, the NAfME Central Regional Elementary Honor Choir, the Morehead State University Honor Choir, and the Honors Young Adults Choir, at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia.

Previously Director of Choral Activities at West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida and West Virginia University (WVU), Dr. Redding has been featured as guest conductor at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Kennedy Center, and Orchestra Hall on numerous occasions. He was also honored to give the prestigious TEDx Talk. He is also one of the conductors for Walt Disney World’s Candlelight Processional at Epcot and the conductor of Harmonious Live! found on Disney Plus.

Recognized for his achievements and service in the profession, Dr. Redding was awarded the R. Wayne Hugoboom Distinguished Service Award for dedicated service, leadership, and excellence by the Florida Chapter of ACDA.

Dr. Redding is founder and Artistic Director of the Winter Garden Community Choir in Winter Garden, Florida. As well as the Executive & Artistic Director of the Orlando Choral Society, founded in 2019. He also serves as the Director of Worship Arts for Tuskawilla United Methodist Church. Formerly with the Moses Hogan Singers, he remains active as a singer in the professional male singing group, "Brethren." The Jeffery Redding Passion and Purpose Choral Series is a compilation of new choral music by various composers, published by Colla Voce Music, Inc. Dr. Redding also has a Choral Series with Walton Music.

Dr. Redding holds a Ph.D. in Choral Conducting/Music Education and a Master of Music Education, both from the Florida State University, and a B.S. in Music Education from Florida A&M University. He is a member of ACDA, NAfME, FVA, NATS, and Chorus America. He has served his profession in numerous capacities, as District 8 Chair for the Florida Vocal Association (FVA), as State R&R Chair for Ethnic Music/Multicultural Affairs, R&R Chair for Youth/Student Activities, and High School Mixed Honor Choir co-chair for Florida ACDA, and as R&R Chair for Community Choirs for Southern Division ACDA. Currently, he is R&R Lifelong Coordinator (Community, Music and Worship) for Florida ACDA.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

UCF Celebrates the Arts! Choir Invitational Saturday, April 8, 2023

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Steinmetz Hall

10:00 a.m. – Open if high schools would like to come early for 30 minute rehearsal in the hall.

12:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:00 p.m. – Oakridge High School

1:45 p.m. – Hagerty High School

2:30 p.m. – Apopka High School

3:15 p.m. – University High School

4:00 p.m. – Lake Nona High School

4:45 p.m. – Rehearsal on combined selections with Dr. Stroope - Dance for Love, She Walks in Beauty

5:30 p.m. – Dinner/Change

6:30 p.m. – Full Rehearsal on combined selections with Dr. Stroope and Dr. Redding

Dance for Love

She Walks in Beauty Unity

7:00 p.m. – House opens

7:30 p.m. – Concert

Oakridge High School

Hagerty High School

Apopka High School

University High School

Lake Nona High School

Combined pieces