Jeff Harris

Jeff Harris is a native of Iowa, where he attended Fort Dodge Senior High School and Iowa Central Community College (Distinguished Alumni Award, 2021). He is a U. S. Army veteran, serving from 1972-74. Mr. Harris received his Bachelor of Music (1977) and Masters in Choral Music (1978) from Arizona State University.

Mr. Harris served as Director of Choral Activities and Chairman of the Performing Arts Department at Westwood High School for thirty-one years in the Mesa Public Schools. He was Director of Music Ministries at Scottsdale United Methodist Church (16 years) and First United Methodist Church in Mesa where he served for 22 years. Mr. Harris was the founding director (1994) of the Sonoran Desert Chorale based in Mesa, Arizona. Under his leadership, the Chorale performed in Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Slovenia and Switzerland.

He continues to serve as choral clinician for festivals and choral workshops, and is past president of the Arizona Chapter ACDA and Choral Section of the Arizona Music Educators Association. Mr. Harris was named the Arizona Music Educator of the Year in 2008. Mr. Harris has conducted choirs before the National Conference of the Music Educators National Conference in 1995 and the Western Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in 1988, 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2006. He continues to do solo work locally at La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale and singing the National Anthem at Arizona State University athletic events.

Mr. Harris is retired and enjoys golf, camping, trout fishing, photography and domestic and international travel with his wife, Jean.