Stephen M. Sano is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at Stanford University. He holds master's and doctoral degrees in both orchestral and choral conducting from Stanford, and a bachelor's degree in piano performance and theory from San Jose State University. Dr. Sano has served on the conducting faculty of the Wilkes University Encore Music Festival of Pennsylvania, and frequently appears as guest conductor of the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra in its collaborative concerts with the Stanford Symphonic Chorus.

A dedicated teacher at Stanford, Professor Sano was recipient of the 2005 Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching. He has studied at the Tanglewood Music Center and is in frequent demand as a master class teacher, conductor, and adjudicator in choral music. To date, he has taught master classes and conducted festival, honor, and collegiate choirs from over 20 states as well as choirs from Germany, Austria, England, Canada, Australia and Japan.

He is also active in his ancillary fields of interest, Hawaiian choral music, the music of Queen Lili'uokalani, ki ho'alu (Hawaiian slack key guitar) and North American Taiko (Japanese American drumming). Professor Sano's seminars in North American Taiko (co-taught with CSRE Affiliated Faculty member Linda Uyechi) and ki ho'alu are cross-listed between the Department of Music and the CSRE course offerings.

As a slack key artist, his recordings have been nominated as finalists for the prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano Award (the Hawaiian Grammy) and the Hawaiian Music Award. Dr. Sano's recordings can be heard on the Arsis Audio, Pictoria and Stanford labels (choral) and the Daniel Ho Creations label (slack key guitar).


Related Links
http://www.stanford.edu/~sano/


[ Return to the Faculty Page ]