Ruth E. Dwyer
Associate Director &
Director of education
CONDUCTING KANTOREI, LYRIC & CHAMBER
Ruth E. Dwyer is a frequent guest conductor and clinician for festivals, conferences, colleges and universities across the United States and abroad. She is internationally recognized as a treble choir specialist and Kodály educator. She has conducted numerous MENC, OAKE and ACDA All-State and Honor Choirs throughout the USA. Mrs. Dwyer has also directed the Field Studies International National Children’s Choir held in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, New York City.
Mrs. Dwyer is the director of education and associate director of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir (ICC). Her work with the children’s choir has allowed her to tour and conduct in a wide variety of venues. Choirs under her direction have performed for the Indiana Music Educators Association, the National Orff-Schülwerk Conference, the Pacific Rim International Children’s Choir Festival, and in Carnegie Hall, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii and across Central Europe. As the ICC director of education she is highly involved in curriculum development, program development, and assisting and mentoring the teaching staff.
Mrs. Dwyer is also the artistic director of the Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir, a cooperative effort of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. This program helps meet the choral arts needs of seven counties in South-Central Indiana. She occasionally teaches music methods for Butler University and is a published composer, choral arranger and editor. She is also a consultant for Hal Leonard’s choral textbook series. Presently, her choral works are available through Colla Voce and Hal Leonard.
Prior to her fulltime position with ICC, Mrs. Dwyer served the State of Indiana for 19 years as a public school music educator. In 1996, Mrs. Dwyer was named the Outstanding Elementary Music Educator of The Year by the Indiana Music Educators Association. Her work in the education field involves multi-cultural activities, educational needs of inner city youth, and a particular awareness of special needs students. Her teaching experiences have included K-12 choral/general music, collegiate studies, handbell and church choirs.
Ruth Dwyer earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University where she majored in music education, voice and secondary education. While attending Indiana University she also received her Kodály certification under the tutelage of Mary Goetze and Jean Sinor. She is currently a member of the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE), AOSA, IMEA, MENC, and is a life member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Mrs. Dwyer has served as chair of the Children’s Choral Repertoire and Standards Committee for the Indiana Choral Directors Association (ICDA) and the Ethnic and Multicultural Concerns chair. She is a past member of the executive board for the Indiana Music Educators Association.