Charles Bruffy

Charles Bruffy is an American choral conductor. He attended Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph, Missouri, where he received his bachelor's degree, and also studied at the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, where he earned his master's degree in voice. He was the artistic director of the Kansas City Chorale from 1988 to 2026 and the Phoenix Chorale from 1999 to 2017. Additionally, he directed the Kansas City Symphony Chorus, and he was the director of music at the Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church. Bruffy is known for commissioning new works, and he has conducted premieres of pieces by Libby Larsen, Stephen Paulus, Eric Whitacre, Jean Belmont, Matthew Harris, Zhou Long, Steven Sametz, Rene Clausen, and Chen Yi. Bruffy has been active on the international scene, conducting in France, Australia, and South Korea. He has recorded for the Nimbus and Chandos labels. ~ Blair Sanderson