Ronald Turner

Ronald (Ron) Turner retired as the Carolyn King Ragan Professor of Church Music at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he taught for 37 years—a tenor, composer, and conductor. He was Chair of Voice and Chair of Music Theory at Southern, holding graduate degrees in both areas. As a singer, Ron performed as tenor soloist in recitals and oratorio appearances in the Louisville area, throughout the southeast, and in England. As a composer, Ron has had works published by eight publishers, as well as liturgical works that were performed on a recurring basis for several years at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, where he was Visiting Scholar in Church Music during the 1993-1994 academic year. His compositional output includes hymn tunes, liturgical psalm settings, anthems, as well as pieces for organ, piano, and handbells. As a conductor, Dr. Turner has led church choirs for fifty years, as well as at various times conducting Southern Seminary’s Male Chorale, its Oratorio Chorus, the Kentucky Baptist Chorale, and the Kentucky Opera Chorus. Dr. Turner’s degrees are the B.A. from Charleston Southern University, the Master of Music from Converse College, and the Doctor of Musical Arts from Southern Seminary in voice performance and church music. Dr. Turner was Minister of Music for Deer Park Baptist Church from 1973-1993, Minister of Music and Organist of Louisville’s First Lutheran Church from 1994-2004, and in 2004 he returned to Deer Park Baptist Church as Minister of Music and Worship, where he again works with his talented wife, organist/pianist Dr. Sandra Chucalo Turner, Professor of Church Music and Chair of Keyboard at Southern Seminary.