Ryan Person
Associate Professor of Music; Director of Choral Activities
Ryan Person is associate professor of music and director of choral activities at Stetson University, where he conducts the renowned Stetson University Concert Choir and Choral Union. Appointed to the position in 2026, he brings more than two decades of choral leadership experience.
- Doctor of Music Arts in Choral Conducting, Texas Tech University
- Master of Music in Choral Conducting, Michigan State University
- Bachelor of Arts in Music Education, Luther College
Biography
Prior to his appointment at Stetson, Ryan Person most recently served as associate professor of music and director of choral activities at Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa, where ensembles under his leadership cultivated a global reputation for choral excellence. During his tenure, the Morningside Choir won the prestigious American Prize in Choral Performance for Colleges and Universities and performed at national, regional, and state ACDA conferences. His ensembles have toured extensively across South Africa, Austria, Germany, and Czechia, having earned a performance invitation at the celebrated Dvorák Music Festival. A frequent guest on major stages, Person has conducted at Carnegie Hall and is slated to return there to lead a national festival choir in 2028.
As a clinician and scholar, Person has conducted dozens of prominent honor and festival choirs —including the 900-member South Dakota All-State Chorus—and has presented at the National Collegiate Choral Organization Conference, as well as served as a headlining clinician at numerous state conferences nationwide. In recognition of his teaching and scholarship, he was honored with the Sharon Walker Faculty Excellence Award at Morningside University. Prior to his work as a collegiate conductor, Person notably taught choral music at West High School in Iowa City, Iowa —a school recognized annually as the top academic high school in the state. Person holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Texas Tech University and a Master of Music from Michigan State University, having completed his undergraduate music experience at Luther College in Iowa.
More About Ryan Person
Areas of Expertise
- Choral Conducting
- Choral Repertoire
Course Sampling
- Concert Choir
- Choral Union
- Conducting