Lynn Swanson is hailed by many as one of the most versatile of all musicians. She is a sought after conductor, choral pedagogue, clinician and adjudicator. She attended Shorter College as a recipient of the Theodore Presser Foundation Scholarship and holds a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance in addition to a Master of Music Education in Choral Pedagogy from the University of Kansas in Lawrence.
One of Ms. Swanson’s most cherished experiences greatly enhancing the scope of her knowledge and expertise is found in her work with the Zhuhai Classical Children’s Choir in Zhuhai, China. The children’s choir boasts more than 200 singers in nine ensembles including two women’s choirs and is a part of the Webb-Mitchell Centre for Choral Studies and the British Schools Foundation.
Ms. Swanson spent many hours studying the vocal production of native Chinese speakers and its implication on a healthy choral sound. She has written numerous articles to aid directors in working with Chinese choirs to better understand the challenges they might face. While in China, she conducted research on the changing voice of the adolescent female with members of the Zhuhai Classical Children’s Choir under the guidance of the University of Kansas, Dr. Melissa Grady and in collaboration with simultaneous research with members of the Allegro Choirs of Kansas City, Jamea Sale, Researcher.
Prior to her work in China, Ms. Swanson served as Executive Associate Music Director of the William Baker Choral Foundation. While a member of the staff of The Choral Foundation, Ms. Swanson created the Institute for Healthy Singing leading workshops for church choirs and community choruses. Ms. Swanson is the Founder of the Lynn Swanson Festival Singers formerly known as the Gwinnett Festival Singers founded in Atlanta in 1985, and the Northside Young Singers and Cobb Summer Singers. From 2011 to 2017, she served as Organist and Music Director of St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
She is the editor of DevelopingVoices.blog posting relevant information on the science behind the voice and managing articles submitted by other qualified educators in this essential field. Her posts can be found on American Choral Director’s Association’s newsletter ChoralNet.org.
As a conductor she has led performances in Atlanta, Kansas City and Beijing of choral and orchestral masterworks that include: Bach: Mass in B Minor, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F, Magnificat, Cantata No. 51 Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Cantata 104 Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme, Cantata 4 Christ lag in Todesbanden; Beethoven: Mass in C; Bernstein: Chichester Psalms & Missa Brevis; Brahms: A German Requiem; Faure: Requiem; Handel: Messiah, Dettingen Te Deum, Water Music Suite, and Israel in Egypt; Haydn: The Creation, Te Deum; Mendelssohn: Elijah; Mozart: Solemn Vespers, Exsultate Jubilate, Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Coronation Mass; Schubert: Mass in G; Vivaldi: Beatus Vir, Gloria.
Her choral ensembles have served as headline performers at the Tenth Annual Chamber Series at Central Conservatory, Beijing, China, the International Chorus Festival, Beijing, 2018, the internationally renowned Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, Christmas Atlanta Festival, The Arts International Festival, among many others.
She is a member of the International Voice Care Network of St. John’s University, Mu Phi Epsilon National Music Fraternity, American Guild of Organists and the American Choral Directors Association.
