André J. Thomas is the recently retired Owen F. Sellers Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Choral Music Education at Florida State University. A previous faculty member at the University of Texas, Austin, Dr. Thomas received his degrees from Friends University (B.A.), Northwestern University (M. M.) and the University of Illinois (D.M.A). He is in demand as a choral adjudicator, clinician and director of Honor/All-State Choirs throughout North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Australia and Africa. Dr. Thomas has conducted choirs at the state, division and national conventions of the Music Educators National Conference (NAfME) and American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). His international conducting credits include conductor/clinician posts across Europe, as well as in China, the Philippines, Vietnam. In addition to being a distinguished composer/arranger, he also produces instructional videos and has written a book that is now a key academic source on understanding and performing the Negro Spiritual.

His international conducting credits are extensive. They include conductor/clinician for the International Federation of Choral Musicians, summer residency of the World Youth Choir in the Republic of China and the Philippines, winter residency of the World Youth Choir in Europe, and a premier performance by an American choir (The Florida State University Singers) in Vietnam. He has been the guest conductor of such distinguished orchestras and choirs as the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in England, and guest conductor for the Berlin Radio Choir in Germany. Since 1988 he has also served as artistic director of the Tallahassee Community Chorus.