Ron mcgowan

Piano, Voice

​​Ron McGowan has a BA (cum laude) in Music History and Performance from Pomona College. He studied with Peter Hewitt in Los Angeles and Stephen Sondheim in New York. Ron returned to his hometown of St. Louis after thirty years in Los Angeles, where he accompanied countless singers, including Joanna Gleason, Dale Kristien, Susan Egan, and John Raitt and served as the resident accompanist for organizations including Musical Theater West, Fullerton Civic Light Opera, Remsen Hillside Theatre, South Coast Repertory Theater, and the Pasadena Boys Choir.

Ron was Musical Director, resident pianist, and vocal coach for Cal State– Los Angeles, Occidental College, UC–Irvine, Fullerton Civic Light Opera, and Pomona College. Since returning to St. Louis, he has accompanied singers and productions for The Muny, Stages St. Louis, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, New Line Theatre, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, the Cabaret Project of St. Louis, Lindenwood University, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, the National Association of Teachers of Voice and the St. Louis Cabaret Conference.

Ron is currently faculty at Webster University as Musical Director/Vocal Coach for The Webster Conservatory of Theater Arts, and is Professor Of Collaborative Piano for the Webster University Departments of Music and Dance, as well as staff accompanist for the Center for Creative Arts

(COCA) and Dance St. Louis. A member of the Musical Theatre Educators’ alliance, he also teaches piano privately in his Clayton studio and throughout the St. Louis area. Ron was Musical Director/pianist for the 2018 St. Louis Literary Award for Stephen Sondheim at the Sheldon Concert hall, and was Musical Director for Max and Louis’s 2019 production of Paula Vogel’s “Indecent” at the Grandel Theatre. Ron teaches online lessons as well as in-person lessons out of his home studio in Clayton.