History is more than a collection of dates and battles. It is the story of ordinary people caught in extraordinary moments. In The Witness: Incidents of the War of the Rebellion, composer Thomas LaVoy transforms the firsthand account of American Civil War Soldier James Waxler into a gripping choral theater experience that gives voice to those who lived through one of the nation's most defining conflicts.
Primarily drawing on Waxler's 1880 handwritten memoir of the same title, the work weaves together moments of courage, grief, sacrifice, and hope. Rather than recounting military victories and defeats alone, The Witness invites audiences to encounter the human cost of war through the eyes of soldiers, civilians, enslaved people, and families forever changed by the conflict.
LaVoy's evocative score combines lyrical beauty with dramatic intensity, creating a musical landscape that is both intimate and expansive. Through vivid storytelling and compelling choral writing, The Witness reminds us that this history is neither distant nor settled. It is deeply personal and ever-present. As this voice from the past speaks once more, we are challenged to reflect on memory, reconciliation, and the enduring pursuit of freedom.
Powerful, poignant, and profoundly relevant, The Witness is not simply a concert, but a simultaneous act of remembrance and call to action.
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Praised for his expressive interpretations, imaginative programming, and commitment to storytelling through music, Jason Strunk is a conductor, educator, and artistic leader redefining the role of professional choral music in rural America. A simple belief guides his work: music has the power to help us understand one another more deeply. Through performances that unite exceptional artistry with compelling storytelling, he creates experiences that invite audiences not only to hear beautiful music, but also to engage with the ideas, histories, and people behind it.
Dr. Strunk serves as Director of Choral Activities at Shepherd University, where he leads the university's choral program and teaches conducting, choral pedagogy, and music history. His teaching is grounded in the conviction that technical excellence and artistic curiosity are inseparable, and that the rehearsal room should cultivate not only accomplished performers but thoughtful collaborators.
He is also the founding Artistic Director of Renatum, West Virginia's only professional chamber choir. Founded in 2022, Renatum grew from a desire to rebuild human connection through music following the isolation of the pandemic. Under Strunk's leadership, the ensemble has earned recognition for innovative programming that explores shared human experiences through thoughtfully curated performances. Bringing together professional singers from across the region and the nation, Renatum demonstrates that world-class artistry can flourish in rural America while creating meaningful dialogue through music.
As a conductor, Dr. Strunk is drawn to repertoire that explores the human condition. His programs weave together music from diverse traditions, historical periods, and cultural perspectives, inviting audiences to reflect on both our shared past and present. Whether conducting Renaissance polyphony or major choral masterworks, he balances technical precision with emotional honesty. Following a performance at Carnegie Hall, The New York City Concert Review praised his ensemble, writing, "The choruses were clearly well-trained, and moments of subtle and glacial changes in tone (such as in the Sanctus) were especially impressive."
Before devoting his career fully to conducting and higher education, Dr. Strunk enjoyed an active career as a professional singer and performer. He worked with Broadway artists Brad Oscar, Linda Eder, and Liz Callaway, appeared in projects involving filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, and performed with internationally acclaimed tenor Andrea Bocelli. Those experiences continue to shape his work on the podium, reinforcing his belief that great conducting begins with profound respect for the artists on stage.
His scholarly interests focus on the emerging art form of choral theater and the role of storytelling in the choral arts. His doctoral research at the University of Miami examined Leonard Bernstein's A White House Cantata, exploring the intersections of music, politics, and historical memory. That scholarship continues to inform his programming, particularly projects that examine overlooked histories, amplify diverse voices, and explore how choral music can contribute to civic dialogue.
Maria Watson is a director, choreographer, educator, and theater artist with a career spanning professional, educational, and community theater. She served as Co-Artistic Director and co-founder of the Mohawk Theater Guild and as Artistic Director of Millbrook Playhouse, where she produced, directed, and choreographed a wide range of plays and musicals while championing the development of new works by regional playwrights.
Over the course of her career, Maria has directed and choreographed more than 100 productions, from professional theater and community companies to acclaimed high school programs. Her work is recognized for its collaborative spirit, imaginative storytelling, and commitment to developing artists of all ages.
In addition to her stage work, Maria served as co-producer and featured performer for a nationally broadcast radio variety show recorded at the Clark Art Institute and aired on National Public Radio, bringing live performance to audiences across the country.
Maria is currently on the faculty of Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C., where she teaches acting and serves as the founder and Artistic Director of the GDS Theater Lab. Through the Theater Lab, she has created an innovative performance series dedicated to producing intimate works by women playwrights, giving students the opportunity to engage deeply with contemporary voices and meaningful stories.
Maria is delighted to collaborate once again with Jason Strunk on The Witness, bringing together their shared passion for compelling storytelling and transformative performance.
Thomas LaVoy is an award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist whose work centers on the expressive power of the human voice. Celebrated for music that unites emotional depth with refined craftsmanship, he reflects a deep commitment to the relationship between text and sound. His distinctive musical voice is shaped by an extensive performance career as a choral artist, pianist, percussionist, and singer-songwriter.
LaVoy earned his bachelor's degree from Westminster Choir College and his Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, where he served as a choral scholar with the Chapel Choir of King's College. His choral works have been commissioned and performed by ensembles throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
Recent commissions include water psalms for the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union's 400th anniversary celebration of Greyfriars Kirk, I Am: The Song of Amergin for the National Youth Choirs of Northern Ireland, and Your Name Falls Like Rain for the Dallas Chamber Choir. He has also served as composer-in-residence for numerous ensembles and has twice been a guest composer at the Choral Institute at Oxford.
A recurring theme throughout LaVoy's work is the exploration of history through music. His compositions frequently draw on firsthand accounts and historical narratives, including A Child's Requiem, commemorating the Italian Hall disaster; a work based on World War I prisoner-of-war diaries; settings of Civil War texts; and In Heaven, Hereafter, inspired by the life of Martha's Vineyard folk figure Nancy Luce. This fascination with lived history continues in The Witness: Incidents of the War of the Rebellion, which transforms the memoir of Civil War soldier James Waxler into a compelling work of choral theater.
LaVoy is Composer-in-Residence and a founding member of The Same Stream, a professional choir based in Philadelphia. His music is published primarily by GIA Publications, with additional works available through Walton Music, G. Schirmer, and Hewitt Hill Music.
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