Board & Staff

Ryan Deignan is delighted to begin his first season with Choral Arts Ensemble in 2024. Before joining CAE, he was an Assistant Professor and Interim Director of Choral Activities at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he led the flagship University Singers and the award-winning vocal jazz ensemble Lake Effect. He is also the Artistic Director of the Twin Ports Choral Project and was a fellow at the 2022 Baylor International Choral Conducting Masterclass.

In addition to teaching and conducting, Deignan performs as a professional vocalist. He performed with the Madison Choral Project in 2023 and sang with the new Baton Rouge choir Red Shift in their 2020 Southern ACDA performance, where he also served as tenor soloist. Deignan sang with Dallas’ Orpheus Chamber Singers, Dallas Bach Society, and the community choir Denton Bach Society as a tenor soloist for their performance of Rossini's Petit Messe Solennelle. He was a tenor soloist for the University of Iowa Choirs and Orchestra's performance of Schubert's Mass in Ab in 2017. Deignan performed with the Cedar Rapids Chorale and Iowa Orchestra as a tenor soloist and with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre as a tenor soloist and young artist. In 2011, he was chorus-master of CROT's production of The Merry Widow.

At the high school level, Deignan was Director of Choirs for the West Des Moines Valley High School choral program of 350 students, seven traditional choirs, two show choirs, and four jazz choirs. Under his direction, Valley Singers performed at the 2016 NC-ACDA Convention in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Prior to West Des Moines, Deignan was Associate Director of Vocal Music at Cedar Rapids Washington High School, where he led a Slice of Jazz to the 2012 Iowa Vocal Jazz Championship.

Deignan studied music education with Jeremy Manternach and Jessica Nápoles, voice with Edwin Andereck and Stephen Swanson, vocal pedagogy with Jeremy Manternach and Stephen F. Austin, and conducting with Craig Arnold, Timothy Stalter, and Allen Hightower.

Deignan holds a BA in Vocal Performance from Luther College, an MA in Music Education from the University of Iowa, and a DMA in Choral Studies with a cognate field in Vocal Pedagogy from the University of North Texas. He is a member of ACDA, NAFME, NATS, JEN, and the Voice Foundation.

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He also serves as the Artistic Director & Concert Choir Conductor for the Honors Choirs of SE MN.  Dr. Deignan, his wife Abby, and their four children live in Rochester.