Charlotte Ann Adams, outstanding Choral Director and Musician, passed away peacefully with dear friends at her side on November 28, 2024,

Charlotte Ann Adams was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, December 5, 1943, to Charlotte Evelyn and G.C. Adams Jr. Her older sister, Sandra, many aunts, uncles and grandparents welcomed Charlotte to the world. In 1947 the family moved to Roswell, New Mexico, where G.C. operated Anthony’s department store and where Charlotte received her public-school education.

There was always music in her home, a piano next to an organ, where her parents played music together. Charlotte was always involved in music, singing in school choirs and taking piano lessons. Sometimes when she was practicing, her parakeet, Pete, perched on her shoulder. Charlotte's love of choral singing led to her career in music. After she graduated from Roswell High School, Charlotte earned a B.A. from Colorado College and an M.M. from Indiana University where she studied with the late Julius Hereford. In between her university studies, Charlotte spent a year in Germany, continuing to develop her fluency in German.

Charlotte had an illustrious career in choral conducting in many different settings. She served as choral director at Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colorado, for 30 years, 1974-2003 and was the Founder and Principal Conductor of the Colorado Woman's Chorale, a select adult woman's choir in Denver. She conducted All State Choirs and Honor Choirs in 25 states:  Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.  

Charlotte conducted the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) North Central and Northwest Regional Women’s Honor Choirs; she also conducted Cherry Creek High School Girls’ 21 at the 1989 and 1997 ACDA national conventions, the 1982, 1986 and 1991 Southwestern ACDA regional conventions, the 1984 Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and numerous times for the Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA).

Charlotte presented numerous vocal development sessions at ACDA and MENC national, regional, and state conventions. Santa Barbara Music publishes the Charlotte Adams Music Series as well as her acclaimed video, Daily Workout for a Beautiful Voice, in the Charlene Archibeque Choral Series.

In 2003, Charlotte founded the select Colorado Woman's Chorale, which performed at the 2005 Colorado ACDA summer convention and at the 2006 Choral Perspectives workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Charlotte also conducted the 2007 World Voices Australia International Choral Festival at the Sydney Opera House and the Choral Salute to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Charlotte also served as interim choral director for the University of Denver in 2005.

Charlotte was inducted into the CMEA Hall of Fame in 2004 and received the Legacy Award from Colorado ACDA, the Sallie Mae teacher tribute award, and the MENC Outstanding Ovation. She also received the teacher appreciation award from the Denver stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints. She held the position of repertoire and standards chair for women's music for both Colorado and Southwestern ACDA.

For many years, Charlotte was an active choral clinician and adjudicator for choral festivals throughout the U.S., including Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming.  In 2006 she conducted the California women's All State Choir and Honor Choirs in Colorado, Missouri and Texas.  She presented vocal development sessions in the 2006 Oregon music educators conference and at the University of Delaware. Her choirs toured extensively throughout the USA, Canada, Australia, England, France, Scotland and Switzerland.

Charlotte continues to be held in high esteem by hundreds of professional choral musicians and beloved by the thousands of young musicians who sang under her direction.

Memorial service for Charlotte will be held February 20, 2025 at Hope Methodist Church, 5101 S. Dayton St. Greenwood Village, Colorado.