Ryan Ellis is Assistant Professor of Music at Seattle Pacific University and serves as Director of the Choral Music. In addition to conducting the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, Ryan teaches courses in music theory, conducting, composition, and choral methods. He frequently presents at music conferences and keeps an active schedule of adjudication and choral workshops. Ryan has maintained an international performing career as a choir director and enjoyed many trips to the Baltic States to participate and perform during the Song Festivals in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In addition to a full concert season with his own ensembles, Ryan has prepared choirs for Seattle Symphony and Northwest Symphony Orchestra.

He brings much experience working with voices and choirs as Ryan is also the Music Director of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Bellevue and Artistic Director of ChoralSounds and VocalSounds of Northwest Associated Arts. Ryan’s choral method and joy in working with choirs of all ages and abilities has delighted choristers and audiences in the greater Seattle area for over 10 years. Prior to his career in Seattle, Ryan was Director of the Bermuda Chamber Choir and co-founder of the Bermuda Festival Orchestra. He led an active performance season with those two ensembles that included several national television spots. As choirmaster and organist of the Bermuda Cathedral, he had the opportunity to lead a Matins service for the visiting Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during the country’s 400th anniversary year.

Ryan has most recently studied choral conducting with Geoffrey Boers and Giselle Wyers, and formerly with Wayne Abercrombie and as a chorister under Kenneth Fulton. His organ studies have been with Herndon Spillman and Peter Sykes. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Music in both Composition and Organ Performance and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting. He is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and American Guild of Organists.

“Shaping Words: from Speech to Song, Linguistic Principles and Rhythmic Expressivity in Choral Performance.” Voice and Speech Review. Volume 13, Issue 3. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2018.1543152

Ellis, Ryan H. (2020, February) An Affirming Choral Experience for Trans Voices. Presented at Washington Music Educators Northwest Division Conference. Yakima, Washington.

Ellis, Ryan H. (2019, March) Transmen in the Choir: Singing a New Voice Part. Presented at the Transgender Singing Voice Conference, Earlham College. Richmond, Indiana.

Ellis, Ryan H. (2017, February) Air Quality in the Choral Classroom: Breath Flow as a Vital Aspect in Choral Pedagogy. Presented at the National Association for Music Educators Conference. Bellevue, Washington.

Learn more about Dr. Ellis' work, repertoire and life experience.