Rate My Professor James Henry

Dr. James Henry serves as Associate Professor of Music, Chair of the Music Department, and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he directs the University Singers and the a cappella ensemble Vocal Point. He earned a Ph.D. in music composition from Washington University in St. Louis, along with degrees in vocal music education, music theory, and music composition. These include a Bachelor of Music in theory and composition and a Bachelor of Music Education, both from Southeast Missouri State University in 1987. His academic career at UMSL encompasses leadership in choral programs, fostering performances that have garnered acclaim, including premieres of new choral works and collaborations with ensembles such as the Arianna String Quartet.

Henry's professional achievements extend beyond academia into the realm of competitive choral and barbershop harmony. He is the musical and artistic director of the Ambassadors of Harmony, a 150-voice men's a cappella chorus that secured the Barbershop Harmony Society International Chorus Championship in 2004, 2009, and 2016. He sings bass and provides arrangements for Crossroads, BHS International Quartet Champions in 2009, and previously performed as bass for The Gas House Gang, International Quartet Champions in 1993, with performances across all fifty states, fifteen countries, and prestigious venues like the Grand Ole Opry, Carnegie Hall, NBC’s Today Show, NPR's At the Creation, and PBS specials. Earlier roles include bass section leader for the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus, three-year composer-in-residence at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School sponsored by Washington University, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and the Buder Foundation, and music mentor for Opera Theatre of St. Louis’s “Music, Words, Opera” educational program. As a composer, he has received awards for songs and piano pieces. Henry contributes as an author to the Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music and the Grove Dictionary of American Music. His honors include the Missouri Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Merit Award. An internationally recognized guest conductor, coach, and lecturer, he significantly influences choral music education and performance.