Leann Conley-Holcom — Faculty ; Assistant Professor ; Department of Performing Arts and Arts Leadership , College of Arts & Sciences ; Areas of Expertise: Vocal music .

Hailed for her “sumptuous tone and fine technique” (MusicWeb International) and “clear, soaring” singing (Arizona Daily Sun), Leann Conley-Holcom is a conductor, educator, clinician, and professional soprano whose work spans choral performance, vocal pedagogy, community music-making, and collaborative practice.

Dr. Conley-Holcom is Director of Choral & Vocal Activities at Seattle University, where she leads the voice program, directs Seattle U Choirs, and teaches conducting and vocal pedagogy. She has served as Music Program Director since 2022. During her leadership, she has expanded the curriculum through the creation of courses and ensembles including University Singers, a choral ensemble welcoming students alongside alumni, community members, staff, and faculty; Vocal Technique & Pedagogy; and Conducting. She also created Creative Pathways, an interdisciplinary course for arts majors across the university that will debut in Spring 2027.

Under Dr. Conley-Holcom’s leadership, Seattle U Choirs have developed a broad profile of innovative performances and collaborations with distinguished ensembles and artists including Cantus, Evergreen Ensemble, Melissa Dunphy, and Karen Marrolli. In 2026, Seattle U Choirs joined the University of Washington choirs in a staged performance of Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard, presented as the headliner concert of the Northwestern Region American Choral Directors Association conference.

Dr. Conley-Holcom’s scholarly and artistic interests extend beyond traditional concert performance. Her doctoral study focused on shape-note and Sacred Harp music, and her ongoing work explores participatory music-making not intended for performance, as well as Collaborative Vocal Improvisation (CVI) and Circlesinging. During a spring 2026 sabbatical, she studied CVI intensively with Briony Greenhill, an internationally recognized British singer, facilitator, and pioneer of CVI. In November 2026, Dr. Conley-Holcom and Greenhill will co-lead workshops in Port Townsend and at Seattle University, followed by a shared concert at Seattle U.

Prior to joining Seattle University, Dr. Conley-Holcom was Director of Choral Activities at Chabot College in California and directed choirs for the GRAMMY Award-winning Pacific Boychoir Academy and Tacoma Youth Chorus. A sought-after clinician, adjudicator, presenter, and guest conductor, she presents workshops and master classes throughout the country. Guest conducting highlights include the Seattle Men’s & Women’s Choruses and the Shaoxing Philharmonic Children’s Chorus in China. Dr. Conley-Holcom is also cofounding director of the treble ensemble MUSING.

As a soprano, Dr. Conley-Holcom performs regularly as a soloist and professional choral singer. Solo appearances include the Oregon Bach Festival, Mountainside Baroque, the symphonies of Tacoma, Flagstaff, and Coeur d’Alene, and Carnegie Hall with the New York City Chamber Orchestra. She has sung with True Concord Voices and Orchestra since 2010 and appears on their GRAMMY Award-winning album Far in the Heavens. She is a tenured member of the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus and also sings with Evergreen Ensemble, Solaris, and Vox Humana. International singing engagements include Bach Academy Stuttgart and Bach Ensemble Helmuth Rilling. 

Dr. Conley-Holcom recently completed four years on the Board of the Washington State chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, serving as Chair of Collegiate Repertoire & Resources. She is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, National Collegiate Choral Organization, College Music Society, and National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Dr. Conley-Holcom holds degrees in voice and conducting from Pacific Lutheran University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Washington.