Music Director Lenora Thom is a conductor, pianist, organist, arranger, and teacher and who moved from New York City to Asheville in 1998. She then commuted to NYC for four years, maintaining careers in both cities until settling full-time in Asheville in 2002.

Career in Asheville

In September 2003, Ms. Thom was appointed Director of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville. Ms. Thom served as Music Director of the Asheville Choral Society from 2000-2010, and has also worked with many of Asheville's leading musical groups. She has served as Assistant Conductor for the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Musical and Vocal Director for the Flat Rock Playhouse, and Music Director at the Asheville Community Theatre.

Lenora is a frequent guest conductor and musical director for choral, orchestral, and musical theatre groups. She maintains a busy vocal and piano studio and finds time for musical arranging and for recital and cabaret work as well.

Past Experience

For over 20 years, she enjoyed a busy and varied professional career in the New York City area, where she held positions as Music Director and Conductor of the New Jersey Choral Society and Orchestra, of the Kean (NJ) Chamber Symphony and of the Riverdale (NY) Chamber Orchestra. Maestra Thom founded the Riverdale Chamber Orchestra and served as its Music Director/Conductor from 1985-1992. She has conducted over 100 musical theatre productions for off-Broadway, regional, summer stock, and university theatres.

An award-winning pianist, Lenora has performed in recital, cabaret, and chamber music concerts throughout the Northeast. From 1980-1995, she was the studio accompanist and coach in several leading voice studios in New York City, accompanying and teaching thousands of singers in all genres of opera, art song, musical theatre and popular music. Ms. Thom served on the music faculties of William Paterson University (NJ) and the Fieldston School (NY) from 1986-1993. 

Lenora's professional music career began when she was appointed Assistant Organist at her home church in Maryland at the age of 10.  From 1970-1998, before moving to Asheville, Ms. Thom held numerous and continuous Director of Music/Organist positions at churches and synagogues in Maryland, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; she is well-versed in Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and Reform Judaism traditions. 

Education

Ms. Thom studied at Juilliard, the Hartt School of Music, Trinity College, Peabody Conservatory, and the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors.