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Kyra Stahr
Co-Founder & Co-Host
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McKenna Stenson
Co-Founder & Co-Host
Kyra 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 and Dr. Matthew Brady. She serves as a graduate teaching assistant, sings as a Seraphic Fire Scholar, and is the Assistant Conductor of Seraphic Fire. Previously, Stahr was Associate Conductor of the Master Chorale of South Florida as well as conductor of the Frost Chamber Singers and Symphonic Choir.
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, she enjoys teaching cycling classes at Equinox, practicing yoga, spending time with her husband Michael, and interviewing female conductors on her new podcast conduct(her).
McKenna Stenson
As an innovative conductor, teacher, and vocalist, McKenna Stenson has built a career inspiring students to sing with confidence and motivating communities to create lasting change through song. Her energetic demeanor permeates positivity throughout the ensemble, creating a community of compassion, trust, and resilience.
Stenson currently serves on the faculty at the University of Kansas (KU) as the Associate Director of Choral Activities where she conducts the KU Glee Club and Oread Singers. In addition to leading ensembles, Stenson teaches classes in choral methods, undergraduate and graduate conducting, and voice.
Stenson enjoys serving as a guest conductor, clinician, presenter, and adjudicator for choirs throughout the United States and abroad. Recent engagements include teaching internationally with The Cornish-American Song Institute “Music Across the Pond”, where she taught seminars in choral conducting and choral masterclasses, and directing the Kansas Treble All-State Honor Choir in February 2023. She has served in state leadership roles and presented sessions at state, regional, and international conferences including the World Symposium on Choral Music (Istanbul, 2023.) Stenson was nationally recognized as a Country Music Award Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence for 2020. Most recently she was named third-place winner of the 2021 American Prize Conducting Competition and a finalist for the 2022 South-Western American Choral Association Graduate Conducting Masterclass.
Prior to her appointment at KU, Stenson was a DMA student in Choral Conducting at the University of North Texas (UNT) where she studied under Dr. Allen Hightower, Dr. Kristina MacMullen, and Dr. Jessica Nápoles. She directed the UNT Camerata and assisted Dr. Kristina MacMullen with the UNT University Singers. Additional teaching appointments at UNT included Music Fundamentals and serving as a teaching associate for Undergraduate Conducting and Vox Aquilae, the university's flagship early music ensemble.
Stenson earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Bachelor of Music in Music Education from The Ohio State University and a Master of Music from Michigan State University. Stenson enjoyed serving as a public school teacher as the Choral Director and CFPA Vocal Director at Charles J. Colgan High School. Stenson, named “New Faculty Member of the Year” in 2017, directed five choirs during the day and three after-school ensembles at Colgan High School. Under the direction of Stenson, the Colgan Choral Ensembles were invited to perform at venues such as the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage and served as arts ambassadors throughout the Virginia Commonwealth. In 2018, the Colgan High School Chamber Ensemble was selected to perform at the Virginia Music Educators Association conference and received a standing ovation for their performance. In her free time, she enjoys running, singing with her husband Bryan, and interviewing female conductors on her new podcast conduct(her) with co-founder (and sister) Kyra Stahr.
Grace Hardy
Grace Hardy is from Los Angeles, California and is currently a Junior at Palisades Charter High School. She is a member of the Palisades Charter High School Mixed Voice Choir and Advanced Choir, which will be traveling to perform at Carnegie Hall in April 2024. In her free time, Grace is a competitive baton twirler who, together with her identical twin Noelle Hardy, are the 2023 California State Duet Champions. In the future, Grace looks forward to studying sacred music in college. She is very excited and honored to be joining the conduct(her) team!
Emily Staton
Emily Staton is a current student at Virginia Tech studying Music Education with a vocal concentration. As a former Colgan High School student, Emily has been heavily involved in many musical events throughout her school years, including All-County, District, State, ACDA Regional and VMEA conferences. In her free time, Emily loves to create her own works, ranging from choral compositions to produced covers/originals. She is extremely thrilled and honored to be a member of the ConductHer Team and is excited for all that is to come in her future!