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. Prior to her appointment at Florida State University, Stenson served as Assistant Professor on faculty at the University of Kansas (KU) where she served as Associate Director of Choral Activities. She conducted the KU Glee Club and Oread Singers. In addition to leading ensembles, she taught 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, adjudicating the Canadian Candando Choral Festivals, and directing the KU Glee Club at the Kansas Music Educator’s Association State Conference. 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. She was recently named a National Finalist for the 2023 American Prize Conducting Competition and Choral Performance Competition. 

Stenson earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas, Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University, and Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Ohio 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. Stenson also enjoys amplifying the voices of women conductors on her podcast, conduct(her), with co-founder (and sister) Kyra Stahr.