Dr. Randi Von Ellefson is in his eighth year as professor of music and director of choral activities at Oklahoma City University and as artistic director of Canterbury Choral Society – the seventh-largest independent chorus in the United States. Under his direction, the society has expanded its repertoire, increased the number of singers in the ensemble and presented two world premieres (Stephen Paulus and Dominick Argento) in the past four years. At Oklahoma City University, he directs the Chamber Choir and the University Men’s Chorus – two of the six choirs on campus – and teaches courses in the graduate choral curriculum.

He holds degrees from Texas Lutheran University, the University of Minnesota and Arizona State University. Ellefson is a founding member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO), where he has served as president and currently serves as treasurer.

He has taught choral music since 1977, beginning his career at Bethany Lutheran College (MN), Whitworth University (WA) and the University of Chicago (IL). Ellefson also was artistic director of the Elgin Choral Union (IL), the Spokane Symphony Chorale (WA), and was the first conductor of the Spokane Opera Company. While in Spokane, he also was conductor of major holiday concerts, cathedral concerts and other pops series with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. He served St. Mark’s Lutheran Church as director of music and is currently choir director at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City.

Ellefson has been a guest conductor and professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, Germany, and taught at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He has been president of the northwestern and central divisions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and served in leadership roles in the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).

Randi Von Ellefson has conducted many all-state choirs; had choirs perform at state, regional and national conventions of MENC and ACDA; served as an adjudicator at national choral competitions; and led choirs in national and international tours in Europe, Asia, Australia and Russia. Reviews (in Fanfare and Gramophone magazines) of choral performances and recordings have noted a particular ability of his choirs to “sing from the heart” and “express significant emotion and depth of feeling” while “maintaining superb intonation and technical precision.”

During June 2011, Ellefson led a group from Canterbury on a tour to China, where they performed at the Tianjin Concert Hall, shared a joint concert with the Tianjin University “Peiyang Chorus” – one of China’s outstanding choral ensembles, and performed for a members-only concert at the newly opened National Music Centre in Beijing. He also enjoyed the opportunity to serve as guest director of the Chancel Choir at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., in July 2011.