Ronald Staheli

Ronald Staheli was the founder of BYU Singers and director for thirty years. In 2006, the BYU Singers became the first and only university ensemble in the United States to perform at the three top choral music conferences — the American Choral Directors Association convention, the Music Educators National Conference and the National Collegiate Choral Organization conference.

He had conducted the Oratorio Choir in the Choral Music Department at Brigham Young University from 1978 to 1984.

Staheli was also the Choral and Conducting Division Coordinator and the Director of Graduate Studies in Choral Music. He also regularly conducted performances involving the combined choirs and orchestra of Brigham Young University.

In July of 2001, Dr. Staheli conducted an all-Mozart concert with choirs of the Zimriya International Choral Festival. Dr. Staheli was a guest lecturer at the Fourth International Choral Symposium in Sydney, Australia, where the BYU Singers also performed concerts in the world-famous Opera House and Town Hall. Travels have also taken him and the choir to the Middle East, Russia, Western and Eastern Europe, the South Pacific, and West Africa.

Staheli is also an outstanding pianist and regularly arranged many selections performed by the BYU Singers, several of which are now published. He retired from BYU in 2015.

He taught at Wichita State University from 1975 to 1978.

Staheli was born in Cedar City, Utah. He earned two bachelor’s degrees from BYU—one in piano performance and one in music theory. He also nearly qualified for a third degree in vocal performance. He earned Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Southern California.

He served in the Swiss Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from August 1966 to August 1968.

Four children were born to Staheli and his wife, Jan.