Tim Westerhaus is passionate about transforming humankind through choral music that fosters empathy, builds inclusive community, and deepens understanding through diverse programming and collaborations. He seeks to advocate for singing among all ages and to engage choral beauty with contemporary issues relevant to society, justice, and culture in local and global communities. In 2021, he joined Northern Arizona University’s Kitt School of Music as Director of Choral Studies, conducting Shrine of the Ages Choir and directing the graduate choral conducting program. In Fall 2022, he began serving as Artistic Director of Choral Arts Northwest in Seattle and Master Chorale of Flagstaff.

 

From 2010 to 2021, he served as Director of Choirs and Vocal Studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He has served as President of the Northwestern Region of the American Choral Directors Association and on the boards of the Washington Music Educators Association and the National Collegiate Choral Organization. Dr. Westerhaus has conducted choirs in Europe, Colombia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Korea, and ensembles under his leadership have performed at regional ACDA and NAfME conferences. As a tenor, he sings professionally in the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus; he performs as a solo and collaborative pianist; and he leads baroque performances from the harpsichord. Dr. Westerhaus received his music degrees from the University of Saint Thomas, studying with Angela Kasper, and from Boston University, where studied with Ann Howard Jones.
 

An outdoor enthusiast, Tim enjoys running, cross-country skiing, and backcountry camping, whether in the Washington Cascades or Arizona San Francisco Peaks.