About Werner Stander

Werner Stander brings voices together with purpose and passion — shaping harmony into unforgettable musical moments.

Werner Stander is an established choral conductor and music education specialistfrom South Africa with a classical choral background and a passion for rock music genres. His first musical training was at the Ladybird International Arts Academy.

Werner started conducting his high school choir in eleventh grade and became the Cantu Maluti Youth Choir director at 18. In August 2020, the world-renowned Bloemfontein Children’s Choir (BCC) appointed Werner as musical director. The BCC toured Europe at the end of 2022 and gave sold-out performances in Belgium and France. The choir particularly enjoyed their performance at Euro Disney. This choir also won the junior division of the Cape Town Eisteddfod in 2023 and received two gold medals. They also performed at the national Mzansi Conductors Convention in Cape Town in 2023, the only children’s choir in the country that performed at this prestigious event. In 2025, the BCC will tour Belgium again, giving 20 performances.

In September 2022, the University of the Free State (UFS) appointed Werner as Choir Master for the UFS Institutional and Bloemfontein Campus Choirs. In October 2023, under his direction, the UFS Institutional Choir took part in the European Choir Games in Norrköping, Sweden. The Choir walked away as winners of both their categories and won gold. The choir also received a gold medal from the Grand Prix of Nations at the European Choir Games. In 2025, Werner attended the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) national conference in Dallas, Texas. He is also a member of the ACDA association. Werner is a member of the International Federation for Choral Music, and in April 2023, he attended the World Symposium on Choral Music held in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Werner is also a PhD candidate in music (choral studies) at the University of the Free State, South Africa. He studies with Dr. Frelét de Villiers (UFS) and Dr. Stuart Chapman Hill (Michigan State University – USA). As part of his research, he attended the Professional Development Levels Course (choral-based) at Maryland University, Washington, USA, in the summer of 2023 and received the Choral Level 1 accolade. In 2024 and again in 2025, Werner was a keynote speaker at the national Mzansi Conductors Convention in Cape Town. In 2024, the Choral Celebrations Network Foundation in South Africa inducted Werner as a Master Conductor. Werner holds B.Mus. & B.Mus. (Hons.) Music degrees and read for a master’s degree in Choral Directing from the UFS (awarded in 2015),