2026 Honors Chorus

Joshua Cheney, a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. He is responsible for the leadership and administration of GWU Choirs, to include the direction of the Concert Choir and Reach Worship. Joshua also teaches Aural Skills, Music Survey, and courses in conducting, voice, woodwinds, and guitar.

Joshua is an active performer and has sung professionally with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir, Bel Canto Company, Red Shift, Coro Vocati, and Blue Ridge Consort. Joshua is a regular clinician, adjudicator, and presenter, having directed honor choirs, adjudicated choral festivals, and given lectures at professional conferences throughout the United States. Previous appointments include service as the Assistant Professor of Choral Music at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, Choral Music Educator at John M. Morehead High School in Eden, North Carolina, and Choral Music Educator at Harnett Central Middle School in Angier, North Carolina. He has served in music ministry as the Interim Music Minister for the First Baptist Church of Marion, North Carolina, Interim Music Minister for the First Baptist Church of Asheville, North Carolina, and Assistant Director of Music and Worship at the First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He currently serves as a Staff Singer at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Joshua holds the B.A. in Music Education from Campbell University, the M.M. in Choral Conducting and Church Music from Mercer University, and the D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University. Joshua is married to Rebekah Cheney, who serves as the Director of Annual Giving at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Joshua and Rebekah reside in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Eric Johnson is the Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Music Education for Gardner-Webb University. Prior to pursuing the Ph.D. degree in Music Education from the University of Mississippi, he was the choral director at James E. Holmes Middle School in Eden, NC, where he directed a vibrant choral program for over nine years.  With B.M. degrees from Appalachian State University in Music Education and Sacred Music Performance, as well as an M.M. degree in Music Education from the Florida State University, he is very active in the musical world as an educator, clinician, and presenter. He also holds Orff Level 1 and 2 certifications from Appalachian State University. His research interests include singer placement and spacing, singer confidence, adolescent vocal development, repertoire selection, assessment practices, and the recruitment and retention of singers. Eric also served on the executive boards for NCMEA and NC ACDA and in various capacities with children’s and church choirs. For more information please visit www.ericgrayjohnson.com.

Elizabeth Williams Taylor, soprano and actress, has enjoyed an extensive professional career in Broadway/ Musical Theatre, Opera, Classical/Pops Symphonic Concert stage, and TV/Film. Touring across the USA and Canada, Elizabeth starred as Guenevere opposite Sir Richard Harris as King Arthur in the National Broadway Tour of Camelot.

Other favorite roles she has performed are Laurie in Oklahoma, Eliza in My Fair Lady, Maria in The Sound of Music, Marsinah in Kismet, and many more.

On the Opera stage, Elizabeth has sung the role of Musetta in Puccini's La Boheme with North Carolina Opera (Raleigh) and Opera Carolina (Charlotte). She also sang the role of Valencienne in The Merry Widow with North Carolina Opera. With Greensboro Opera, she sang the roles of Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Lucy in The Telephone, and Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto.

Other opera credits include Jackie in Michael Daughterty's Jackie O and Ariel in Lee Hoiby's "The Tempest" with Long Leaf Opera Festival. She was also privileged to perform the Southern Premiere of At the Statue of Venus by world-renowned American Opera composer Jake Heggie (Dead Man Walking) with Jake accompanying her at the piano. The one-act opera for soprano and piano was performed at UNC-Memorial Hall in Chapel Hill at the Long Leaf Opera Festival.

On the concert stage, Elizabeth has performed as soprano soloist in Carmina Burana at UNC-Memorial Hall with the Chapel Hill Choral Society and symphony, the Milwaukee "Music Under The Stars" Symphony in Washington Park, Asheville, Durham, Fayetteville symphonies and with the Greensboro Oratorio Society and symphony. She has performed several times as Soprano soloist with the NC Symphony singing both classical and Broadway Pops.

As the role of Grace Kelly in the American Opera's Jackie 0, Elizabeth made her European Debut at Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Italy. The opera was filmed and can be seen on DVD.

Elizabeth was Miss North Carolina 1982 (winner of talent and swimsuit scholarships at Miss America).