In memoriam: Dr. Greg Lyne, 1946-2022
The Barbershop Harmony Society mourns the loss of Dr. Greg Lyne, one of the most influential choral directors and coaches in the history of the global barbershop community. A four-time champion chorus director with the West Town Chorus (1987) and Masters of Harmony (1990, 1993, 1996), Lyne received the Joe Liles Lifetime Achievement Award in Directing in 2010, and was named to the BHS Hall of Fame in 2013. From 1996-2005, he served as Director of Music Education and Services for the Society.
Much of the Society’s growth as an organization of choral excellence can be attributed directly to Greg’s musical leadership of top ensembles, and his mentoring of the next generation of performers and directors. His peerless conducting hands, silky interpretative style, and unswerving devotion to excellence inspired new levels of artistry in the barbershop style.
As a coach, judge, arranger and mentor, Lyne’s influence was truly global. His teaching fused his lifelong passion for barbershop harmony with his extensive experience in the highest echelons of American choral arts performance and education. Earning a doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Northern Colorado, his academic credentials included posts at Arizona State University, California State University - Long Beach, DePaul University, Eastern New Mexico University and the University of Washington.
His reputation in choral directing brought barbershop to prominence in other choral circles, notably in a series of choral tours he led to Russia, where he presented master classes at the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture.
A Celebration
Legends in their own words: Greg Lyne
Watch interviews with Greg on a wide range of topics.