by
Kira Rugen
Kira Zeeman Rugen, D.M.A Kira Zeeman Rugen, (soprano/conductor/composer/teacher), holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Arizona State University. Kira is a faculty member at Grand Canyon University, where she teaches Music History, Conducting, and Music Fundamentals of Culture and Exceptional Learners. Previously, she held the post of Faculty Associate at Arizona State University, where she served as the director of Schola Cantorum, the undergraduate SATB choir composed predominantly of music majors, and Choral Union, the 100+ member community choir. Kira is the Artistic Director and founder of Solis Camerata (2011), a fully-paid professional choir, the ensemble explores the historical, aesthetic and philosophical importance of ancient secular and sacred music. Kira composes for this ensemble and commissions a new choral composition once a year, often highlighting local Arizona composers. Along with a regular concert series, Solis performed at the ACDA Western Division Conference, in February 2016. Their collaborations include high-profile performance opportunities such as with the Phoenix Symphony singing video game music for Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, and performing at Talking Stick Resort Arena for the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience under the baton of composer Ramin Djawadi (March, 2017). Kira is in her thirteenth season as a soprano with the Grammy-Award winning professional choir, Phoenix Chorale, under the direction of Charles Bruffy. Album credits include Rachmaninoff Vespers, (Grammy for Best Choral Performance in 2016) and A Spotless Rose (Grammy for Best Small Ensemble in 2009), on which she is a soloist. As a member of Anúna (Ireland’s National Choir) under the direction of Michael McGlynn, Kira has performed in Dublin, and throughout China and Japan. In February 2008, she sang in the Carnegie Hall Young Artist Concert Series under the Direction of Ton Koopman, performing the music of G.F. Handel. Additionally, she has sung as a soloist nationally and in
13 Scores