Stephen Barr is a conductor, composer, and orchestrator working in the greater Pittsburgh, PA area.Currently in his sixth year as Assistant Professor and Director of Choirs at Slippery Rock University, he teaches music theory, music technology, and orchestration, and conducts the University Concert Choir, Women’s Choir, and Chamber Singers ensembles.He is an active composer and arranger working in a variety of mediums, from modern art music for choirs, bands, orchestras, and chamber groups, to contemporary film score and music for media in orchestral and orchestral-electronic hybrid styles.

Stephen’s conducting experience includes a variety of choral and instrumental ensembles including large and small mixed choirs, chamber and full symphony orchestras, wind ensembles, and more. As a composer, his concert music has been performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Florida Orchestra (Tampa, FL), American Academy of Conducting Orchestra and Aspen Contemporary Ensemble (Aspen Music Festival, CO), and the Three Rivers Choral Society (Pittsburgh, PA), among others. He has also arranged and orchestrated works for the Sarasota Ballet and Sarasota Symphony as well as other organizations.

He holds music degrees from Westminster College (BM), the University of South Florida (MM), and West Virginia University (DMA).He has been a resident at the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Susan and Ford Schumann Film Scoring Program at the Aspen Music School and Festival in Aspen, CO, where he studied composition and film scoring with John Corigliano, Jack Smalley, and Jeff Rona.He has also studied conducting with eminent American choral conductor Robert Page.