David Edmonds

David Edmonds, D.M.A, serves as Director of Choral Studies at the University of New Mexico where he directs the UNM Concert Choir, teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and choral repertoire, and oversees six choral ensembles on campus. Choirs under his direction have presented invited performances at SWACDA, NWACDA, and NAfME conferences.

Recent performance highlights include The UNM Concert Choir’s performance Where the Earth Meets The Sky for the Southwestern Region ACDA Conference, Mahler’s Symphony no. 2 in C minor (“Resurrection”) with the UNM Choirs and New Mexico Philharmonic, the world-premiere of Kile Smith’s Where the Mind Is Without Fear by the UNM Concert Choir, Dolce Canto Missoula’s guest appearance at the 2026 Beargrass Composer’s Festival, and the presentation of A Concert of Healing in which the UNM choirs and UNM Symphony Orchestra gave the world-premiere performance of Andrea Clearfield’s Singing Into Presence. In 2024, the UNM Concert presented a special concert performance, Sacred Choral Music and Ritual Dance on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, in collaboration with the John Donald Robb Trust, and curated by Dr. Javier Marín-López of the University of Jaén, Spain.

Before coming to UNM, Dr. Edmonds led the choral music program at the University of Montana. During his six years there, the UM Chamber Chorale was invited to perform at both NWACDA and NW-NAfME regional conferences—both first-time invitations for that ensemble.

In addition to his current role at UNM, Dr. Edmonds serves as Artistic Director and Conductor of Dolce Canto, a community-based choral ensemble in Missoula, Montana, presenting two regular-season performances in Missoula and the surrounding areas. He also recently completed a one-year tenure as the Interim Artistic Director of the New Mexico Symphonic Chorus, guiding the ensemble in their preparations for four choral/orchestral masterworks performances.

Edmonds served for six years as ACDA National Repertoire & Resources Chair for Student Activities, working on the R&R team to create programming and initiatives supporting the ACDA national student membership.

An advocate for new music, Dr. Edmonds has commissioned and/or premiered works by composers including Kile Smith, Jake Runestad, Katerina Gimon, Susan LaBarr, Daniel Elder, Z. Randall Stroope, and Andrea Clearfield. He has received commissions for his own original compositions and arrangements from school, church and arts organizations in the United States and Canada. His choral works are published by Alliance, Colla Voce, and MorningStar Music Publishers. Dr. Edmonds obtained advanced degrees in conducting from the University of North Texas (D.M.A., ’12) and Westminster Choir College (M.M., ’10) after teaching high school choral music for six years in Iowa and Texas.

He lives in New Mexico with his incredible wife and their two (often) well-behaved daughters.

Contact: dmedmonds@unm.edu