Stevie J. Hirner

About

Dr. Stevie J. Hirner is an Assistant Professor and Interim Director of Choral Activities at the University of Montana School of Music, where she joined the faculty in fall 2024. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Music from the University of Southern California (USC), with secondary emphases in Music Theory and Analysis, Vocology, and Gender and Sexuality Studies, which she completed in 2024. Dr. Hirner is a choral conductor, composer, singer, and educator who specializes in cultivating transgender and gender expansive inclusivity in singing through empathetic practices and science-informed vocal pedagogy. She is the creator of Flexible Fach, a gender-affirming singing protocol that she introduced in 2024 at five of the six Regional Conferences of the American Choral Directors Association. This innovative approach, which was the focus of her doctoral dissertation, provides flexible vocal development strategies that honor diverse gender identities and expressions in choral and vocal settings. At UM, Dr. Hirner directs the University Choir and Chamber Chorale, and teaches courses in Choral Conducting and Choral Methods. Prior to joining UM, she served as a Lecturer in Choral and Voice Methods at California State University, Long Beach, and concluded a four-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Long Beach Youth Orchestra in July 2024. Her teaching emphasizes inclusive vocal pedagogy, contemporary approaches to voice training, and choral excellence.

Education & Qualifications

Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Music, University of Southern California (2024); secondary emphases in Music Theory and Analysis, Vocology, and Gender and Sexuality Studies

Teaching Styles