“Musical Musing” (music by Joan Johnson Drewes, text by Emily Sue Sloan) will be premiered by the Chorale as part of the 5th Annual Huntsville Choral Festival!

joanjohnsondrewes.com

“There is nothing closer to the soul than the sound of the human voice singing!” —JJD

Joan, a life-long composer, has been singularly focused on writing choral music since 2019. Joan has been selected as a 2026 LunART Call for Scores winner with her piece “Distant Murmurings” (SSAA). In 2025, her piece “I AM - The Song of Myself” was recognized as a winner in the HerVoice Composers Competition hosted by Stacy Garrop and Chicago a cappella. To date, her premieres include: “The Star” (SSAA), “Lift My Soul” (SATB), “Three” (SAA), “Distant Murmurings” (SSAA), “Tacit” (SATB) and “Send Love” (SATB). Upcoming debuts for the 2026 season include “The One Word” (SATB).

The prestigious PROJECT: ENCORE Catalog of post-premiere choral compositions includes her scores “Tacit”, “The Star”, “Lift My Soul” and “Distant Murmurings”. In 2024, “Distant Murmurings” won first prize in the Inaugural Pioneering Voices Choral Series Composition Competition at Mount Holyoke College, with Dr. Colin Britt. Two of her Art Songs were performed by soprano Lisa Neher and the Evergreen and Oak Trio. Joan was recognized as runner-up in the 2023 Celebris Ensemble Composition Contest. She received Honorable Mention for her piece “Lift My Soul” in the 2022 HerVoice Composers Competition. “The Star” debuted in 2020 was performed by Dr. David Fryling and the eVoco Treble Ensemble, she also served on the eVoco Board of Directors. Joan is a member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA).

“Joan’s music is a delight to sing and a joy to conduct! Her musical language is sophisticated yet accessible, she treats her texts with great care, and her approach to the voice is effortlessly idiomatic.” —David Fryling, D.M.A.