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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.
She currently serves as Assistant Teaching Professor at Syracuse University, where she conducts the premier treble ensemble, Crouse Chorale, and teaches Graduate Choral Conducting, Undergraduate Conducting, Advanced Rehearsal Techniques, Choral Literature, and Vocal Pedagogy. She is also a Conducting Fellow with Spire Chamber Ensemble, Assistant Conductor of Seraphic Fire, and a DMA candidate in Choral Conducting at the University of Miami, where she studied with Dr. Amanda Quist and Dr. Matthew Brady. At Frost, she conducted Bella Voce, Chamber Singers, and Symphonic Choir and served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.
Stahr holds an M.M. in Choral Music from the 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 Vocal Performance and Music Education, graduating summa cum laude with dual minors in Special Education and Musical Theatre. During her time at Miami, she led an inclusive choir for adults with disabilities and received the “Outstanding Future Music Educator” award. Most recently, she was recognized as a distinguished alumna with the university’s “18 of the Last 9” award—modeled after Forbes’ 30 Under 30—to honor emerging leaders who have graduated within the past nine years.
Stahr is from Arlington, Virginia, where she served as the 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.
A sought-after guest conductor, clinician, and presenter, she was recently selected for the 2025 ACDA National Graduate Student Conducting Masterclass and the 2026 International Conductors Exchange Program with Portugal. Her presentations have spanned international, national, and regional platforms, including the World Symposium on Choral Music in Istanbul, the ACDA National Convention, the College Music Society National Conference, TMEA, FMEA, NAfME, FLACDA, and the ACDA Southern and SWACDA conferences.
In addition to presenting and conducting, Stahr co-founded and co-hosts the podcast conduct(her) with her sister McKenna Stenson. Conduct(her) amplifies the voices of women conductors and composers while exploring the gender divide in the choral music field.
In her free time, she enjoys teaching group fitness classes and spending time with her husband Michael, and their two cats, Bagel and Cali.
McKenna Stenson
As an innovative conductor, teacher, and vocalist, McKenna Stenson has built a career inspiring students to sing confidently and motivating communities to create lasting change through song. Her energetic demeanor fosters a spirit of positivity within her ensembles, creating a community grounded in compassion, trust, and resilience.
Stenson currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at Florida State University. She conducts Levana, an advanced treble ensemble, and teaches undergraduate choral methods, graduate conducting, and graduate choral seminars.
She is an active guest conductor, clinician, presenter, and adjudicator for choirs across the United States and abroad. Recent engagements include teaching conducting at the Cornish-American Song Institute’s Music Across the Pond in the British Isles, adjudicating choral festivals across Canada, and serving as a guest clinician at high school choral invitationals throughout the U.S., including at Louisiana State University, Tennessee Tech, and James Madison University.
Stenson has held state leadership positions and presented at state, regional, national, and international conferences, including the 2023 World Symposium on Choral Music in Istanbul. She was nationally recognized as a Country Music Association Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence in 2020 and was recently named a National Finalist for both the 2023 American Prize Conducting and Choral Performance Competitions.
Before joining the faculty at Florida State, Stenson was an Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas, where she served as Associate Director of Choral Activities, conducting the KU Glee Club and Oread Singers.
Stenson earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University, and dual Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from The Ohio State University.
Earlier in her career, Stenson was the Choral Director and CFPA Vocal Director at Charles J. Colgan High School. Named “New Faculty Member of the Year” in 2017, she directed five choirs during the school day and three after-school ensembles. Under her leadership, the Colgan Choral Ensembles performed at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage and served as arts ambassadors throughout Virginia. In 2018, the Colgan Chamber Ensemble was selected to perform at the Virginia Music Educators Association Conference, receiving a standing ovation for their performance.
In her free time, Stenson enjoys running, traveling with her son Luka and husband Bryan, and amplifying the voices of women conductors through her podcast conduct(her), which she co-founded with her sister Kyra Stahr.
Samantha Price
Samantha Price is an emerging arts administrator based in Boston, MA. Her guiding light in the arts is accessibility, believing that all audiences deserve access to thrilling musical experiences, no matter the cost, location, or medium. Samantha leads social media content curation and scheduling for the Tanglewood Music Center, the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer academy for advanced musical training. Originally from Tampa Bay, she earned her Bachelor's degree in music business from the University of Miami. In her free time, she enjoys jogging, cooking, and crafting.
Mary-Hannah Klontz
Dr. Mary-Hannah Klontz is an adjunct professor at the Northern Virginia Community College and teaches private lessons. She was a teacher and Arts Education Specialist in the Arlington Public Schools before retiring from Charles J. Colgan, Sr. High School, a fine and performing arts magnet school in Manassas, Virginia. She founded and oversaw Excelsior Voices and directed the Fredericksburg Chamber Chorale. She graduated from George Mason University with a D.M.A. in Choral Conducting, the Eastman School of Music with an M.M. in French Horn Performance, and the University of Akron with a B.M. in Music Education in French Horn with a minor in Piano and Voice. Klontz started out as a professional horn player before pursuing a career in education, teaching at all levels from preschool to university. Dr. Klontz's ensembles have won the highest honors and been asked to perform at the White House, the National Cathedral, the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, and the Virginia Music Educators Conference. She is active as a guest clinician, vocalist, and composer. Klontz is also co-chair of the choral adjudicator certification program of the Virginia Choral Directors Association and is the sound engineer for the Conduct.her podcast. Her composition, “Point Me to the Stars,” is published with Hal Leonard as part of the Henry Leck Choral Artistry Series and "D.N.A" is published with MusicSpoke. In addition, she is the editor of a new critical edition of Arnold Schoenberg's "De Profundis" (Psalm 130), Op. 50B that is available as a digital download in PDF, mp3 and digital notation files. https://www.mary-hannahklontz.com/
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!