 Director
- Girrard Stewart
Girrard Stewart was born in Chicago, Illinois.
At the age of two, he moved with his family to Orrville, Ohio. The oldest of
nine children, he began his music career in his family’s church choir
directed by his father, James, who as a youth sang with gospel music
legends, Sam Cooke and Mahalia Jackson.
Mr. Stewart attended Kent State University where he
majored in instrumental music and choral conducting. He studied
conducting and vocal arranging with Grammy Award winning choral
conductor, Vance George. Stewart founded a student show group called
“The New Kent Singers” that eventually became a class on the KSU curriculum.
Beginning in 1970, Stewart began serving on the
staff of the All-Ohio Youth Choir, which was directed by the man he
calls his musical and show business “Father”, the late Mr. Glenville D.
Thomas, Founder of the All-Ohio Youth Choir. Thomas recognized Stewart’s
talents and mentored him to the position of Assistant Conductor of the
All-Ohio Youth Choir, a post Stewart held for 17 years.
During those seventeen years, Stewart produced and
staged numerous shows for the Youth Choir, not only at The Ohio State
Fair, but for national performances as well. These included NBC’s The Today Show,
The Phil Donahue Show, several Tournament of Roses Parade Specials, and
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, just to name a few.
For the past decade, Stewart has been Vocal
Director at a prestigious performing arts school in Northeast Ohio. Many
of his students have gone on to perform in Broadway productions, feature
films, music videos, and as entertainers on cruise ships. He also
coached two Miss Ohio winners in the competition for the Miss America
crown.
He is in demand as a judge and clinician. He has
teamed with American Idol and High School Musical vocal coach Debra Byrd
for vocal and performance clinics.
As a singer and instrumentalist, Stewart had the
pleasure to sing and perform in the grand concert halls of Europe, and
throughout the United States. Most recently, he was onstage in the new
Off-Broadway production of “Stepp Stewart’s Red Hot Broadway” with Tony
nominee and Grammy winner B. J. Crosby (Smokey Joe’s Café), recording
artist Deborah Gibson and Grammy winner Freda Payne (Band of Gold).
Girrard is the proud father of two children.
His daughter, Emily, is a graduate of Boston University and resides in
Atlanta. She is a stage manager for many major theatres on the East
Coast. His son, Seth,
attended Fordham University and calls New York City home. Seth is
currently on Broadway starring as Graffiti Pete in the 2008 Tony Award
Best Musical, “In the Heights.”
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