Lenora Thom
Lenora Thom is a conductor, pianist, organist, vocal coach,
teacher and arranger who moved to Asheville in 1998. For over twenty 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.
Ms. Thom was appointed Music Director of the Asheville Choral Society in September 2000
and has also worked with many of Asheville’s leading musical groups. She has acted as
Assistant Conductor for the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Musical/Vocal Director for the
Flat Rock Playhouse, and Music Director at the Asheville Community Theatre. She maintains
a busy vocal and piano studio and finds time for musical arranging and recital/cabaret work as
well. In September of 2003, Ms. Thom was appointed Director of Music at the Unitarian
Universalist Church of Asheville.
Maestra Thom founded the Riverdale Chamber Orchestra and served as its Music Director
/ Conductor from 1985-1992. Lenora is a frequent guest conductor and musical director for
choral, orchestral, and musical theatre groups. She has conducted more than 100 musical
theatre productions for off-Broadway, regional, summer stock, and university theatres. An
award-winning pianist, she has performed in recital, cabaret, and chamber music concerts
throughout the Northeast. From 1980-1995, she was the studio accompanist/coach in several
leading voice studios in New York City, accompanying and teaching literally thousands of
singers in all genres of opera, art song, musical theatre and popular music.
Ms. Thom studied at Juilliard, the Hartt School of Music, Trinity College, Peabody
Conservatory, and the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors. Lenora held numerous Director
of Music/Organist positions at churches and synagogues from 1970-1998 in Maryland,
Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.
