Shane Lynch Completes a Year of Work in International Choir Competitions The professor of music served on competition juries and taught conducting courses.

By Lily Caldwell
November 11, 2026

Shane Lynch, professor of music and director of choral activities at Washington and Lee University, recently completed a year of work in international choir competitions and programming.

Lynch served as the lead instructor, alongside associate instructor Anna Füri from Hungary, for the International Conducting Course at the Cork International Choral Festival, the oldest choral competition in Europe. During the course, he coached and taught other professional conductors in a weeklong, intense curriculum ending with each conductor working with Chamber Choir Ireland, the national professional choir of Ireland.

Lynch served on the jury for many top international choir competitions, including the Fleishman International Trophy Competition and the National Choir of Ireland Competition, where he was jury chair for both. He was on the distinguished jury for the Aegis Carminis Choral Conductors Competition (Slovenia), a rigorous three-day competition between young professional conductors from throughout the world, and the ​​ World Youth and Children Choral Artists’ Association’s World Choir Festival (Hong Kong), considered one of the top youth choral competitions in the world.

Lynch was also an honored guest at the International Choral Competition Gallus – Maribor (Slovenia), where he observed the festival with the hope that the University Singers will compete there in the future. The University Singers were invited to compete there in 2021, but it was unfortunately canceled due to COVID-19.

Lynch is the conductor for the University Singers, W&L’s internationally competitive touring choir. The University Singers are one of the few international choirs selected for the 2027 Jeju International Choir Festival in Seogwipo, South Korea. The festival is a cultural exchange bringing choirs from multiple countries together to share music over four days. The University Singers will perform, work with professional Korean choral musicians and serve as the demonstration choir for a master class Lynch will be giving at the festival for other professional choral musicians.

Lynch has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2009. He has received numerous accolades as a musician and educator, including the Junior Faculty Member of the Year at Monmouth College and the Outstanding Faculty Service Award at the University of Wisconsin—Barron County (now known as University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire – Barron County). He previously served as visiting director of choral activities at Monmouth College and director of choral activities at the University of Wisconsin—Barron County. Lynch earned a Bachelor of Arts in music and physics from Concordia College, a Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of Northern Colorado and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Washington.

If you know a W&L faculty member who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.