Mikhail Shtangrud

Mikhail Shtangrud is the Artistic Director of MUSYCA Children's Choir. 

Dr. Shtangrud's students sing on concert and operatic stages, appear in film and on TV, star on Broadway and at the Los Angeles Music Center and collaborate with leading composers, musical artists and producers. His vocal ensembles performed at the top venues in the US and around the world.

As MUSYCA's artistic director, Dr. Shtangrud coached singers and led choirs on numerous hit music records, including Grammy-nominated albums "Donda" by Kanye West (Album of the Year, 2022) and "Ella Mai" by Ella Mai (Best R&B album, 2020).

In addition to his work with MUSYCA, Dr. Shtangrud serves as the Artistic Director of the Burbank Chorale, inspiring audiences with electrifying performances of the world's greatest choral music. 

He also served on the faculty of the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music.

During his 15-year tenure as the Director of Choral Programs at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, Dr. Shtangrud helped to nurture a lifelong love for music and singing in hundreds of students, growing the program from 20 singers to more than 200, and from three choral ensembles to eight.

Born in Moscow, Russia, to a family of choral conductors, Mikhail studied violin and piano at the Liadov Children’s Music School and sang with the Big Children’s Choir of the Russian State Radio & Television. Misha later studied choral conducting at the Moscow State Music College of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He earned a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at CSU, Northridge, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Education from the University of Southern California.