Shawna Cross Stewart

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Shawna Cross Stewart is Director of Choral Activities at Biola University where she conducts the Biola University Chorale and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. As assistant professor, she also teaches the conducting and choral methods courses, and serves as the supervisor for the vocal music education majors. She has previously taught at John Brown University and North Dakota State College of Science.

Ms. Stewart is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music with a Master of Music in Choral Conducting. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate of Choral Music at the University of Southern California, where she studies with William Dehning. In addition to her doctoral studies, she has also had the privilege of receiving instruction in choral conducting from Helmuth Rilling, Kenneth Jennings, Donald Neuen, René Clausen, Donald Hunsberger and David Effron.

Annually, under the direction of Ms. Stewart, the Biola University Choral Department hosts three invitational choral festivals. Active in the greater L.A. choral community, Ms. Stewart regularly guest conducts for jr. high and high school honor choirs, and is frequently called upon to adjudicate choral and vocal jazz festivals. She has served on the board of the California American Choral Director’s Association as the College and University Representative, chair of the inaugural Conducting Skills Workshop and as Recording Secretary. Recently, she served as president of the Pacific Southwest Intercollegiate Choral Association. She is a member of IAJE, MENC, and ACDA.

For five summers, Ms. Stewart was part of the artistic team at a performing arts high school, where she acted as vocal director for their musical productions. She has also been a franchise owner and teacher of Children’s Music
Academy (CMA), a Denver-based school for early childhood music education. Currently, she owns the Whittier CMA branch.

Ms. Stewart has been active in church music ministry, and served as the choral director for Whittier Hills Community Church. Previous to her time at Whittier Hills she was the choral director at Granada Heights Friends Church and the Minister of Music at Gates Presbyterian Church.

Active in the L.A. choral community, she has been the College and University Representative for the California American Choral Director’s Association state board, as well as the chair of the CA ACDA Choral Workshop Series.
Previously, she was the Recording Secretary for the CA ACDA state board and the president of the Pacific Southwest Intercollegiate Choral Association.