Kyra Stahr

Kyra Mariah Stahr

Kyra Stahr (she/her) has founded her career as a conductor, educator, and vocalist on compassion and empathy, encouraging singers to approach music from a place of vulnerability. Stahr believes in the humanity of choral singing and motivates ensembles with authenticity, courage, and determination.

Stahr is currently a DMA candidate in Choral Conducting at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where she studies under Dr. Amanda Quist. She serves as a graduate teaching assistant and is the Associate Conductor of the Master Chorale of South Florida. 

Stahr earned her MM in Choral Music from University of Southern California (USC) where she studied under Dr. Cristian Grases, Dr. Tram Sparks, Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe, and Dr. Nick Strimple. At USC she was Associate Conductor of Oriana, Associate Director of the South Bay Children’s Choir, served on the Thornton Student Council, and was ACDA student chapter president. She was selected for the 2022 ACDA Eastern Graduate Conducting Masterclass and was awarded the 2022 USC Chamber Singers Ensemble Award, 2023 USC Choral Music Departmental Award, and 2023 Pi Kappa Lambda Eta Chapter Masters Student Award. 

Prior to her time at USC, Stahr graduated from Miami University where she studied under Dr. Jeremy Jones and Dr. William Bausano. She earned her B.M. in Music Education and Vocal Performance and a dual minor in Special Education and Musical Theater. At Miami, she led an inclusive choir for adults with disabilities and was awarded the 2017 "Outstanding Future Music Educator" honor, graduating summa cum laude.

Stahr is from Arlington, Virginia where she was choral director at Bishop O'Connell High School, building the program and earning a Social Emotional Facilitator certificate. She served as the Virginia Senior Honor Choir registration chair and adjudicated for the Virginia Middle School Honor Choir. In 2019 she guest conducted the Shenandoah All County Treble Chorus and was the Northern Virginia Diocesan Youth Honors Choir director in 2020.

Recent engagements include presenting a roundtable discussion at the 2022 Chorus America conference and giving presentations at the 2023 California Music Education Conference and the 2023 World Symposium on Choral Music in Istanbul. Kyra is looking forward to upcoming presentations for NAfME, College Music Society, and regional ACDA conferences in 2024. In addition to her teaching and conducting, Stahr co-founded and co-created the podcast “conduct(her),” amplifying the voices of women and women-ally conductors while exploring the gender divide in the field of choral music.

In her free time, Kyra enjoys teaching cycling classes at Equinox, podcasting with her sister, and spending time with her husband Michael.