J. Reese Norris

​J. Reese Norris (b. 1973) is director of choirs at Hernando Middle School and is co-founder and co-artistic director of CoroRio, both in Northwest Mississippi. Mr. Norris received degrees from Delta State University and Florida State University.

Norris was the recipient of MMEA’s Music Educator of the Year, the Ernestine Ferrell Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Mississippi Chapter of ACDA, the Delta State University Music Alumnus of the Year and Educator of the Year Award. Norris has served in several leadership capacities for state-level NAfME and ACDA, and at the division level for ACDA.

Choirs under his direction have performed at Carnegie Hall, at the National Conference for Middle School Choirs, for the Alabama ACDA Summer Conference, twice for Mississippi ACDA’s State Conference, twice for ACDA’s Southern Division Conference, at the OAKE National Conference and at the ACDA National Conference. Norris has been honored to serve as guest clinician across the U.S.

As a composer, Norris has been commissioned by children, middle school, high school, university, church, and adult community choirs. Norris’ compositions have been performed in all-state choirs, at ACDA Conferences, in Carnegie Hall and across the globe. His compositions and arrangements are published by Santa Barbara, Lawson Gould, Colla Voce, G. Schirmer, and MusicSpoke.