Scot Hanna-Weir

Associate Professor

Director of Choral Activities, Conducting

Scot Hanna-Weir is the Director of Choral Activities at Santa Clara University and the Artistic Director of the Santa Clara Chorale. As a conductor, singer, pianist, and teacher, he is known for his insatiable desire for excellence and deep connection to the personal joy of music making. Hanna-Weir is an emerging scholar in the art and practice of conducting pedagogy.

Prior to joining the faculty at Santa Clara University, Hanna-Weir conducted the All Souls Choir at All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, DC. As part of his graduate studies at the University of Maryland (UMD), he conducted the UMD Chamber Singers and Wind Orchestra, the UMD Concert Choir and Symphony Orchestra, the UMD Summer Chorus, and served as director of the UMD Women’s Chorus and University Chorale. Hanna-Weir also prepared choirs for the National Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Helmuth Rilling, the National Orchestral Institute under Asher Fisch, the Army Field Band and Soldier’s Chorus, and the Maryland Opera Studio.

Comfortable in a variety of genres and styles, Hanna-Weir is a frequent collaborator as conductor, clinician, singer, and pianist with soloists, choirs, composers, and ensembles from a variety of backgrounds and traditions. At All Souls Church, he conducted the world premiere of All Souls, a cantata by award-winning composer Scott Gendel and regularly collaborated with artists from diverse musical traditions including members of the acclaimed vocal jazz group, Howard’s Afro Blue. At the University of Maryland, he conducted the University Chorale in a performance of Dominick Argento’s I hate and I love as part of an in residence festival celebrating the composer’s 85^th birthday. Before working in Washington, Hanna-Weir directed the vocal music program at Tecumseh High School, where he led his choirs to consistent success at district and state choral festivals.

Hanna-Weir holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from the University of Maryland, a Master of Music in choral conducting from the University of Wisconsin, and a Bachelor of Music in choral/general music education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Courses

Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Introduction to Listening (MUSC 8), Private Instruction - Conducting