Robyn Reeves Lana interprets choral music for diverse audiences in ways that are relevant to young people while upholding the highest standards of music education and performance.
Robyn joined the faculty of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 2022, where she leads the nationally award-winning treble ensemble, Choraliers. She also mentors conductor-educators, supervises student teachers, and teaches courses in music education. For 32 years, she served as Founder and Managing Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Youth Choir, Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In 2024, she expanded her artistic vision by founding SINGergy, a semi-professional treble choir drawing singers from across Ohio, which was invited to perform for the Ohio Choral Directors Association in its debut season.
Lana’s ensembles have been honoured with invitations to perform at ACDA regional and national conferences, the Chorus America National Conference, and numerous state conferences. In addition, she has been engaged as a guest conductor and clinician in more than 30 states across the U.S. Her international credits include leading choirs and workshops in China, Malaysia, Ireland, Italy, and Singapore, with performances at distinguished venues such as the Forbidden City Concert Hall (Beijing), the World Expo (Milan), St. Peter’s Basilica (Vatican City), Minatomirai Hall (Yokohama), Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Cincinnati’s Music Hall. She has also served on the choral faculties of Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
She is the editor of the Robyn Lana Choral Series with Santa Barbara Music Publishing, and her book Voices in Harmony highlights successful philosophies in choral education. She has been widely published in ACDA’s Choral Journal—serving as guest editor in 2016 and 2019—as well as in The Chorister (Choristers Guild), CMA Matters (Chamber Music America), and ChorTeach.
Known for her skill in preparing young voices for professional collaborations, Robyn has amassed an extensive repertoire of orchestral and operatic works for children. Her choirs have received praise from conductors including Craig Hella Johnson, John Adams, Louis Langrée, John Morris Russell, Robert Porco, Marcus Huber, James Conlon, Earl Rivers, and Mark Gibson. She regularly prepared ensembles for performances with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, May Festival, Cincinnati Opera, and CCM choirs and orchestras. Notably, she prepared CYC for two Telarc recordings with the Cincinnati Pops under the late Maestro Erich Kunzel.
Her national leadership includes service on the Chorus America Board of Directors (2015–2024), as ACDA Children’s Choir and Community Youth Repertoire & Standards Chair (2007–2013), and as Chair of ACDA’s Standing Committee on Advocacy and Collaboration (2016–2021). She currently serves as Southwest Region Chair for the Ohio Choral Directors Association.
Lana earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, with a cognate in voice and concentration in choral conducting. She holds Level III Orff-Schulwerk Certification and pursued focused study in children’s choirs with Henry Leck at Butler University.
Her work has been recognised with numerous awards, including CCM’s Distinguished Alumna Award (2012), a gold medal at the World Choir Games (2012), the American Prize for Choral Performance (2015, 2024), the Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming (2016), the Chorus America Award for Education and Community Engagement (2018), and Cincinnati CityBeat’s Best Local Vocal Arts Group (2015, 2017). Of special note, she was featured in Imagineers • Impresarios • Inventors: Cincinnati’s Arts and the POWER OF HER, celebrating women’s impact on the city’s artistic history.
