Dr. Anthony Leach posthumously receives the 2026 ACDA Eastern Region Helen Kemp Award

​In tribute to a life of profound artistry, service and impact, the ACDA Eastern Region posthumously awards the 2026 Helen Kemp Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Anthony T. Leach (April 8, 1951 – January 8, 2025).

Dr. Leach’s life and work embody the spirit of this honor. He held a lifelong devotion to the choral art, a forward thinking and expansive vision of musical community, and a commitment to teaching, artistry, and service.

From the earliest years of his career, Dr. Leach emerged as one of the most sought-after national voices advocating for the music of the African and Black Diaspora within the choral ecosystem. Long before the profession began its journey to embrace this repertoire, Dr. Leach was already working tirelessly to ensure its visibility, integrity, and rightful place on concert stages and in classrooms. His advocacy helped lay the foundation on which today’s expanding repertoire and pedagogy rests.

​Central to this work was his longtime service as Repertoire & Standards chair for what was then known as “Multicultural Music.” In this role, Dr. Leach guided conductors toward more inclusive, culturally-informed programming. He encouraged the profession to look beyond the Western canon and to honor traditions rooted in histories, identities, and communities often marginalized. His leadership shaped repertoire lists, reading sessions, and educational programming for decades and broadened the musical imagination of our entire field.

Credit: Michelle Bixby / Penn State

​Dr. Leach also played a pivotal role in commissioning composers whose work is now foundational in the choral repertoire. These composers include Moses Hogan, Raymond Wise, Marques L. A. Garrett, Keith Hampton, Rosephanye Powell, Christopher Harris, and many others. He offered these individuals platforms when visibility was far from guaranteed, helping usher their contributions into national prominence.

In addition to this national impact, Dr. Leach’s legacy is profoundly felt through his decades of service at Penn State University. As the founder of Essence of Joy, he built one of the country’s most respected collegiate ensembles devoted to the music of the Black Diaspora. His leadership shaped the musical, personal, and professional development of thousands of students, many of whom credit him with defining their career paths, artistic values, and sense of purpose. 

He was a mentor in the truest sense: generous, wise, rigorous, and compassionate.

Dr. Leach also contributed significantly to his local State College, Pennsylvania community through his work with Essence 2, the African American Music Festival, and numerous workshops, and collaborations that brought together communities across race, faith, and lived experience. Many remember him as a father figure, someone who led with integrity, modeled excellence, and used music to cultivate empathy and belonging.

​Dr. Anthony T. Leach’s impact on the Eastern Region and the nation is immense. His life’s work expanded the repertoire, nurtured countless musicians, and created communities where humanity was valued as much as musicianship. 

Anthony T. Leach, late professor of music/music education, was director and founder of Essence of Joy. He served as conductor of the Penn State University Choir from 1994 – 2015 and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in choral music education. Leach also coordinated the African American Music Festival at Penn State. Leach holds a PhD in music education and a M.M. in conducting from Penn State, as well as a B.S. in music education from Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA.  

Dr. Leach received the President’s Award for Engagement with Students in 2007. During the 2009 – 2010 academic year, Leach served as Penn State University Laureate. Leach received the Brazeal Dennard Award from Chorus America in 2017 and the Penn State Lion’s Paw Association Award in 2018. Leach taught music in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York City for fourteen years. His choirs have performed at festivals throughout the United States and Canada as well as tours of England, Scotland, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Spain, France, Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, St. Thomas/U.S. Virgin Islands and South Africa. 

He has appeared as guest conductor for choral festivals and workshops in Maryland, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, North Carolina, New York, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Kentucky, Nebraska and Massachusetts. He has also served as guest conductor for festivals in France, Japan, Venezuela, Czech Republic and Norway. In 2004, Leach was co-conductor of the World Youth Choir sponsored by the International Federation of Choral Musicians (IFCM) in South Korea and Japan.   

​Dr. Leach served as conductor of the Essence of Joy Alumni Singers and Essence 2 Ltd. He was also director of music, worship and the arts at Monumental AME, Steelton, PA. Dr. Leach was a life member of the American Choral Directors Association. Professional affiliations also include the Gospel Music Workshop of America and the National Association for Music Education. 

The award was presented before the opening headlining concert of the 2026 ACDA Eastern Region ENVISION Conference on Wednesday, February 25 at Grace Episcopal Church in Providence, Rhode Island.