Meet Carolyn Eynon

We recently connected with Carolyn Eynon and have shared our conversation below.

Carolyn, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My work ethic comes from my drive, which comes from my energy, which is stimulated by my love for choral directing.

We constantly strive for connection with community through singing together in the Valley of the Sun with children and adults who volunteer their time and talent. It is truly inspiring to the performers and the audience. We value collaboration and inclusion of all talents and abilities and my life work has been to inspire singers to live up to their potential.

Work and passion are connected for me. My work is my passion and I strive to bring the best out of our singers.
The human voice is the most personal “instrument” a person can share as there are no two voices alike.

My career is based on sharing music: conducting orchestras, bands, and choirs in both secular and sacred music for all ages.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I grew up surrounded by music. My parents were both professionally trained musicians (pipe organ, piano, and violin), so I began playing piano at just five years old. When I was 17 I won a scholarship to travel to Europe to study classical pipe organ music, a trip that opened my ears to world music and my eyes to travel, and I returned determined to do my best in college. I was the first woman in the graduate conducting program at University of Michigan. I was the first woman to direct the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Plymouth Symphony Orchestras in Michigan. Today musical women have broken the glass ceiling and we see wonderful women composing and conducting, but in 1980 there were only two female American conductors.

For more than 50 years, my life work has been working with and creating successful nonprofit choral organizations. On moving to Arizona, I was hired to direct the Scottsdale Symphony choir, and later founded both the Arizona Arts Chorale and the Carolyn Eynon Singers. I have taken my singers to Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Beijing, the International Eisteddfod Festival in Wales, Bulgaria and Romania, and Austrailia. I have prepared choirs for James Sedares, Robert Moody, Hermann Michael, Doc Severinsen, Michael Christie, and Susan Boyle. In 2023 I was inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who international biographical registry, and also named an Arts Hero for the state of Arizona by SRP.

My current passion project is the Carolyn Eynon Singers, an all-voices chamber ensemble of 24 to 32 adult singers. We specialize in the choral music of North American composers and female composers, which I spend countless hours researching to find new music. We accept new singers every fall and again after the new year, and we perform all over the Valley for all kinds of audiences.

Choral music is my passion; the art of singing together creates community. We all need music in our lives and singing together connects people! We are looking forward to 2026 when we will celebrate both the choir’s 20th anniversary and the 250th birthday of America!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Perseverance – never give up, follow your heart, dig deep, be strong, be determined, be focused!
2. Passion for learning – never stop seeking more knowledge.
3. Preparation – you can never be ready enough for performance, rehearsals, or opportunities.

Young people will learn there are no short cuts. Knowledge, practice, listening, learning, and hunger to improve are all necessary in all performance.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

My parents never gave me time to quit my music studies. Instead of hanging out with my teenage friends, I practiced piano and voice. I constantly hit the keyboard at 6 am before school, and 3 hours after school. Organization, no time wasted, work first, play second. My parents always wanted to know: did I do my best? did I study everything possible to do well? I did enjoy free time after my studies were completed.

My father was very talented and music was his therapy. My mom was a classical pianist and church organist. I was blessed with wonderful music growing up in that inspiring atmosphere. I worked hard and never quit. As I matured, college gave me exposure to the very best in music performance. I love people, which is very necessary in order to direct them and inspire them to do their best, which is what I strive for today.

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Image Credits

Tom Greiner, Angela Gonzalez

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