Meet the Choir Conductor

Dr. Joshua Donaldson enjoys an active career as a choral conductor and musician. He frequently appears as a guest conductor and clinician at local festival events, most recently directing the NCKMEA District Honor Choir. In addition to his work as a guest conductor, he also maintains an active singing career as a member of two Kansas City-based choirs: Te Deum and KC VITAs. He was recently a featured soloist in L.V. Wood’s oratorio “On the Back of the Black.” He has a passion for social justice and has led sessions on how to safely and effectively incorporate social justice issues into the choral music classroom, how to communicate to your choir through the conducting gesture, as well as how to effectively engage your choir with intentional warm-ups. He also serves as the worship leader at Red Bridge United Methodist Church in Kansas City, where he directs the church choir and leads the praise team. Dr. Donaldson holds a B.M.E from Pittsburg State University, a M.M. in Choral Conducting from Pittsburg State University, a M.M. in Vocal Performance from Pittsburg State University, and a D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from the University of Kansas. He is the recipient of the 2017 Most Distinguished Thesis Award from Pittsburg State University and the 2018 Sandra K. Daugherty Award for Outstanding Graduate Conductor from the University of Kansas.