Who We Are
The Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society has been bringing beautiful music to Las Vegas since 1963. The Society a 501(c)(3) non-profit community organization whose purpose is the promotion and performance of quality choral and orchestra masterworks, musical productions, and chamber concerts consistent with a strong community and educational outreach in Southern Nevada. SNMAS is the umbrella organization for two performing groups: the Musical Arts Chorus, a large community chorus, and the Musical Arts Orchestra, comprised of professional instrumentalists. Past performances include Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Handel’s Messiah, Brahms’ Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, and hundreds of other various masterworks. The Society presented the American premier performance of David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus and performed Carol Barnett’s A Bluegrass Mass in Carnegie Hall. They have sung with Andrea Bocelli since 2009 at MGM’s Grand Garden Arena. As part of the Society’s community outreach, various choirs from local school are invited to perform their own segment and with the Musical Arts Chorus and Musical Arts Orchestra. The organization is administered by a Board of Trustees comprised of representatives from the Society’s members and is funded by ticket sales, contract performances, and advertisements in the printed program. Supporters of the Society have included Wynn Resorts, Target stores, Thomas & Mack Company, Klai-Juba Architects, Lochsa Engineering, and the Nevada Arts Council.
Randy Pagel, Guest Conductor
Maestro Randy Pagel is a native of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He began his career at 13, directing the choir at Peace Lutheran Church. He later served as the choral director at Thurman White Middle School in Henderson, Nevada, where his choirs gained national recognition for their performances of advanced literature with technical precision and artistic beauty. Under his direction, the choirs performed multiple times at prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Orchestra Hall in Chicago. They also performed at state, division, and national conventions for both the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education.
Pagel has received numerous awards for educational excellence at local, state, and national levels. He was honored twice as Oshkosh’s “Boy of the Year,” received the “Key to the City” of both Oshkosh and the Las Vegas Strip, and was named an “Outstanding Young Alumni” by the University of Wisconsin. In recognition of his contributions, “Randy Pagel Day” was proclaimed by the mayors of Oshkosh, Henderson, and Las Vegas. He is in the Oshkosh North High School, Clark County School District, and the World of Music “Hall of Fame.”
He has conducted many honor choirs and workshops around the world. His book, The Choral Director’s Guide to Sanity…and Success!, is the Lorenz Corporation’s all-time best seller.
A retired school principal, Pagel currently teaches piano at Cimarron-Memorial High School and coaches tennis and swimming. His athletes have competed at NIAA 4A regional and state competitions. He is an avid traveler, having visited 129 countries. Additionally, he holds a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo and had the honor of working with the Kukkiwon demonstration team in Seoul, South Korea, in 2024.
Joshua Herrington, Resident Accompanist
Joshua Herrington is an accomplished pianist, conductor, and educator with more than 35 years of performance and collaborative experience. Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, he began studying piano at the age of five, laying the foundation for a distinguished career in music.
Joshua earned both a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Master of Arts in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Central Florida. His performance career has taken him across the United States and Europe, with appearances as both a soloist and ensemble musician in the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, and Belgium.
Recognized for his artistry, Joshua has received numerous performance honors, including the University of Central Florida’s Performance Excellence Award. His versatility as a performer and collaborator has made him a sought-after pianist in a wide range of musical settings.
Joshua currently serves as Music Director at Green Valley Presbyterian Church, where he leads a thriving music ministry. Under his direction, the church choir was invited to perform Handel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall, a significant milestone recognizing the ensemble’s musical excellence.
In addition to his work in sacred music, Joshua is the Rehearsal Pianist for Nevada Ballet Theatre, where he has also appeared as a featured soloist in performances at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. He is a member of the faculty in the Department of Dance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), providing musical expertise for the university’s dance program. Joshua also serves as Associate Director and Principal Pianist of the Las Vegas Sinfonietta.
Through his work as a performer, conductor, educator, and collaborative pianist, Joshua continues to enrich the musical community with artistry, leadership, and a lifelong commitment to excellence.