Faculty & Staff

Puja Ramaswamy is the Director of Choirs at Lake View High School in Chicago, where she teaches five choral ensembles. She is dedicated to creating a culturally relevant curriculum wherein student voice guides instruction and learning. Her students have participated in multiple choral festivals throughout Chicago, worked with expert teaching artists through the Lyric Opera High School Residency Program, and partnered with the William Ferris Chorale through the Emerging Voices Project. Prior to her position at Lake View, Ms. Ramaswamy was the Director of Vocal Music at Eisenhower Junior High School in Darien, Illinois. There, she directed numerous musicals and organized choral trips for her students to perform across the country.

A National Board Certified Teacher, Ms. Ramaswamy received the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2022. She is an active clinician and adjudicator, serving for the IGSMA District 7 and State Choral Contests and the Illinois ACDA Treble Choir Festival. Additionally, she has been a guest conductor at the Waukegan Middle School Music Festival and the ILMEA Districts 1 and 7 Elementary/General Music Festivals. She currently serves as Secretary of the Illinois ACDA Board and is a member of the VanderCook College of Music Alumni Advisory Board.

Ms. Ramaswamy holds degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Music Education (MMEd) from VanderCook College of Music.