LORISSA MASON, CONDUCTOR
Bio (cont.)
Dr. Mason maintains an active and distinguished international conducting profile, having led performances and workshops across the United States and Europe. She made her debut at Carnegie Hall on June 26, 2022, directing Poulenc’s Gloria with the UA Little Rock Choirs and a select ensemble of national vocalists. She returned to the historic stage in June 2024 to conduct Vivaldi’s Magnificat. In June 2023, she conducted the Ozark Festival Singers at London’s historic Cadogan Hall in a program titled "The Music and Lineage of Paul Mealor," collaborating with Vox Anima London, the acclaimed ensemble Apollo 5, and the composer himself. Previously, she served as a conducting fellow in Italian symposia and, in Autumn 2020, joined a panel of distinguished international conductors in England alongside Dr. James Meaders and the Hurst Green Singers to lecture on the structure and history of Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem. In June 2026, as part of a residency with MidAm International’s 21st Season, she will conduct the Arkansas Chamber Singers, the Ozark Festival Singers, and guest choirs in a performance of Marianna Martines’ Dixit Dominus in Vienna, accompanied by the KünstlerOrchesterWien.
In addition to her academic appointments, Dr. Mason is a vital pillar of the regional arts community. In July 2024, she was appointed Artistic Director of the Arkansas Chamber Singers. Her recent regional collaborations include preparing the chorus for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. As an active vocalist, she performs with Trinitas, Little Rock’s premier professional choir, under the direction of Dr. Colin MacKnight.
"Maestra Mason and I worked together on Poulenc's Gloria, which we performed in Carnegie Hall, and it was a magical collaboration. She was a sensitive and musical conductor, and incredibly attuned to the needs of the soloist, orchestra, and choral ensemble. It was a true joy to collaborate with her, and I look forward to making more music together."
- Janani Sridhar, Soprano
A dedicated advocate for the choral arts, Dr. Mason is deeply involved in the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) at the state, regional, and national levels. She served as the Arkansas ACDA Membership Chair from 2020 to 2025 and currently serves as both the Community Choirs Chair and Conducting Symposium Coordinator. Nationally, she served on the 2021 screening committee for the National ACDA undergraduate conducting masterclass and was a featured clinician for the Southwest ACDA College Immersion Day in 2020. In Fall 2023, she became a founding member and Steering Committee representative of the World Choral Conducting Network, where she currently coordinates the Centre for Choral Literature. Her scholarly research centers on conducting pedagogy alongside the critical analysis of unpublished Baroque and Classical scores. She is a frequent presenter at state, regional, and international conferences. She recently served on panels for both the 2025 National and 2026 Southwest ACDA conferences, discussing tenor-bass literature and community choir topics, respectively.
Dr. Mason holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music and Dance, where she studied conducting and choral literature under Dr. Robert Bode.
She earned her prior degrees from Texas Tech University, studying music education and conducting under the
tutelage of Dr. John Dickson.
“Lorissa is a magnificent conductor whose tremendous skill, superb musicality, and infectious enthusiasm make for a truly joyous performance experience! She conducts with not only fantastic precision but also an exuberance that brings out the best in performers and delights the audience. She is a confident and gracious leader as well as a wonderfully kind person.”
- Madison Marie McIntosh, mezzo-soprano