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. She serves as an instructor of record and 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 was the 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. Most recently, she was honored with the 18 of the Last 9 Outstanding Alumni award for 2024-2025.

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 at ACDA Southern, Southwestern ACDA conferences and the World Symposium on Choral Music in Istanbul. In 2025 Kyra will present at FLACDA, FMEA, and ACDA National conferences. In addition to her teaching and conducting, Stahr co-founded and co-created the podcast “conduct(her).” The mission of conduct(her) is to amplify the voices of women and women-ally conductors while exploring the gender divide in the field of choral music.