Ben Walters is Director of Choral Activities at Ankeny High School in Ankeny, Iowa. In addition to overseeing and administering all aspects of Ankeny High School’s Vocal Music Department, his current conducting responsibilities include Ankeny’s most select choral ensemble, Concert Choir, the auditioned treble ensemble Cantorei, and the varsity show choir, Visual Adrenaline. Mr. Walters also serves as the music director for the annual musical production, serves as artistic director for the annual holiday production Julefest, teaches lessons during the school day and maintains a private voice studio.
Prior to his appointment at Ankeny, Mr. Walters served on the vocal music faculty at Waukee High School in Waukee, Iowa where he led and conducted men's choirs, concert choirs, show choirs, and jazz choirs to high levels of performance distiniction. Previous teaching assignments have also included Hudson Community Schools and Cedar Rapids Community Schools. Mr. Walters is in demand across the metro and state as a judge and clinician for show choir, all-state, and solo/ensemble contest events in addition to frequently serving as an adjudicator at numerous Iowa High School Music Association Festivals and Contests. Choirs under Mr. Walters' direction have received many awards and honors including an invitation to sing at Carnegie Hall, invitations to perform as a featured ensemble in honor choir festival settings, numerous show choir class championships and caption awards including many best vocal awards, and consistent division 1 superior ratings at state large group contest.
In addition to public school teaching, Mr. Walters serves on the directing staff of Wartburg College's Meistersinger All-State Camps and previously held positions as tour choral director of the Celebration Iowa Singers & Jazz Band, and assistant conductor of Chorale Midwest, a semi-professional choral ensemble based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Mr. Walters is an honors graduate of the University of Northern Iowa where he earned a degree in music education with an emphasis in voice and conducting. While at UNI, his collegiate accomplishments included being a winner of the Regional ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) conducting competition as well as a regional NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) finalist. He holds professional memberships with the American Choral Directors Association, the National Association For Music Education, and the Iowa Alliance For Arts Education.
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Ben Walters