Kristie Halverson

Dr. Kristie Halverson, D.M.A.
Assistant Professor, Choral Music Education/Voice
Browne 121A
Email: K-Halverson@wiu.edu

Kristie Halverson, D.M.A., is an Assistant Professor at Western Illinois University, where she conducts choral ensembles, instructs music education and music therapy students in vocal performance, and teaches choral literature and conducting. She previously conducted the choirs at Beloit College. Prior to her doctorate, she taught vocal music at Viroqua High School in Wisconsin, taught voice and piano lessons, and served at local congregations as organist, pianist, and choir director, sometimes simultaneously. She continues to serve as the Music Director at Bethany United Methodist Church in Madison, Wisconsin, and she sings with the Madison Chamber Choir, directed by Dr. Kevin Kriegel.

Dr. Halverson earned her D.M.A. in Choral Conducting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022, studying with Dr. Mariana Farah and Beverly Taylor. As a teaching assistant in both choral ensembles and music education, she discovered a passion for representation in all areas of choral education; her final paper became "A Content Analysis: Composer Representation in Choral Conducting Textbooks Published in the United States from 1983-2011." Dr. Halverson earned her M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, studying with Dr. Eph Ehly. Music Education became her primary interest at the University of Washington-Seattle, where she studied with Dr. Steven Demorest and Dr. Geoffrey Boers. Her experience at Luther College, where she earned a B.A. in Vocal Performance and English, was transformative as she sang in the Nordic Choir and studied with Weston Noble, Dr. Tim Peter, and Dr. Sandra Peter.

On the weekends, Dr. Halverson can be found with her husband, three kids, and dog. Her childhood on the farm in Iowa instilled a lifelong love of the outdoors, and she hikes, kayaks, camps, and gardens as much as she can.