Robyn Lana

Educational Credentials

• M.M., Music Education (Concentration: choral conducting), University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
• B.M., Music Education (Concentration: choral conducting), University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

Biography

Interpreting choral music for diverse audiences in ways that are both relevant and rooted in the highest standards of music education and performance encapsulates the work of Robyn Reeves Lana.

Lana is a visiting professor of choral music at Miami University, where she leads the Choraliers, mentors music education students, and supervises student teachers. She is the Founder and Artistic Director Emerita of the nationally celebrated Cincinnati Youth Choir (CYC), Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

A sought-after conductor and clinician, Lana has led performances and workshops across the United States and internationally at acclaimed venues including The Forbidden City Concert Hall (Beijing), The World Expo (Milan), St. Peter’s Basilica (Vatican City), and Minatomirai Hall (Yokohama). Her international work has taken her to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Italy, Ireland, and China. Domestically, she has guest conducted at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Cincinnati’s Music Hall, and led state and regional choral events in more than 30 states.

Lana has previously served on the choral faculty at Xavier University and as a guest professor at CCM. She is also the editor of a choral series with Santa Barbara Music Publishing and co-author of Voices in Harmony, a collaborative publication highlighting successful philosophies in choral education. Her writing has appeared in The Chorister (Chorister Guild), CMA Matters (Chamber Music America), and Choral Journal (ACDA), where she also served as guest editor for three issues.

Known for her extensive collaborations in orchestral and operatic works for children, Lana has earned praise from esteemed conductors such as Craig Hella Johnson, John Adams, Louis Langrée, John Morris Russell, Robert Porco, Marcus Huber, James Conlon, Earl Rivers, and Mark Gibson. During her 32 years with CYC, she regularly prepared choirs for performances with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Opera, and CCM ensembles. She also prepared the Cincinnati Youth Choir for two Telarc label recordings with the Cincinnati Pops under the late Maestro Erich Kunzel.

Nationally, Lana has served the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) as Chair for both the Children’s Choir and Community Youth Repertoire and Standards Committee and as founding Chair of the Advocacy and Collaboration Standing Committee. She completed three consecutive terms on the Chorus America Board of Directors and currently serves as Southwest Region Chair for the Ohio Choral Directors Association.

Lana holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music education, with a cognate in voice and a concentration in choral conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She also holds Level III Orff-Schulwerk Certification and has studied children’s choir pedagogy at Butler University under Henry Leck.

Her work has garnered numerous national and regional accolades, including but not limited to:

• CCM’s Distinguished Alumna Award (2012)
• Gold Medal at the World Choir Games (2012), placing first among U.S. choirs
• The American Prize in Choral Performance (2015, 2024)
• Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming (2016)
• Chorus America Award for Education and Community Engagement (2018)
• Cincinnati CityBeat’s Best Local Vocal Arts Group (2015, 2017, 2023)

Most recently, she was featured in Imagineers • Impresarios • Inventors: Cincinnati’s Arts and the POWER OF HER, a book celebrating the influential women who have shaped Cincinnati’s cultural legacy.

Under her direction, the Miami University Choraliers earned third place in the American Prize (2024) and were invited to perform at the Ohio Music Education Association’s Professional Development Conference (2024).