The Conductor
A native of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Addison Walton brings a lifelong passion for music and a dynamic background in choral conducting and arts administration to her new role as Interim Director of the Virginia Women’s Chorus. She began her musical training early in both vocal and instrumental performance and went on to earn a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, where she first discovered her love for choral conducting.
Addison’s career includes teaching in public schools across Virginia and North Carolina and serving as music director for numerous academic and community theatre productions, including Les Misérables, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and The Wizard of Oz. After relocating to Columbus, Georgia, she became the Music Preparatory Division Coordinator at Columbus State University (CSU), where she also earned her Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting, graduating summa cum laude under Dr. Ianthe Marini. She later served as Interim Director of Choral Activities at CSU’s Joyce and Henry Schwob School of Music, conducting both the Schwob Singers and the CSU Choral Union.
An active clinician and adjudicator, Addison has led workshops and festivals for middle and high school choirs and participated in master classes with artists including Bobby McFerrin, Nigel Short, Gabriel Crouch, and Dr. André Thomas. She is also an accomplished performer, with appearances at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, the Spoleto Festival USA, the London New Year’s Day Parade, and Star Wars in Concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and actor Anthony Daniels.
Addison is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in Choral Conducting at James Madison University. She also serves as Music Director at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she lives with her husband, SSG Chris Walton, and their daughter, Ella.