Sterling Poulson
Sterling is Music Director and Founder of The Choral Arts Society of Utah, conducting as many as six concerts each year with the 100-voice choir. He was appointed Associate Music Director of the Jay Welch Chorale in 1985 and served under Dr. Jay Welch for eleven years. He was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Choral Arts Society of Utah in December 1996. His career includes guest-conducting performances with the Utah Symphony, West Valley Symphony, the New American Symphony, the Sierra Nevada Master Chorale & Orchestra, the Fillmore Regional Chorus & Orchestra, the South Davis Community Choir & Orchestra and the Southern Utah Heritage Choir. He has had several guest conducting appearances with the Utah National Guard’s 23rd Army Band, including a performance of Randall Thompson’s Testament of Freedom in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square.
In 1997 he was appointed Music Director of the Days of ’47 Pops Concert held in Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City every July. He has expanded this free concert to a two-night event and it is one of the more popular summer concerts in Salt Lake City. This concert features the Choral Arts Society of Utah and Utah artists such as the West Valley Symphony of Utah, the Salt Lake Symphony, the Crescent Super Band, one of the nations premiere youth Jazz bands, as well as many guest soloists, including George Dyer, Alex Boyé, Joseph Paur, Thurl Bailey, Jessica Poulson and Jenny Oaks Baker. Also featured, the Utah National Guard 23rd Army Band. For 15 years, the Choral Arts Society of Utah has joined forces with the 23rd Army Band to present the Armed Forces Day Concert at the Gallivan Plaza, to honor our men and women serving in the Armed Forces. In May of 2002, he received the Award of Harmony from The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Singing in America, presented by the Saltaires Show Chorus for his work in promoting music education and appreciation in our community. He served two terms on the board of the American Choral Directors-Utah Chapter, and from 1988 – 2009, he held the position of music reader for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Broadcast Music and the Spoken Word. He is currently pursuing a degree in choral music education at the University of Utah.
Sterling Poulson is currently the Chief Meteorologist for 2News, joining the KUTV 2News Weather Team as an anchor, weather producer and meteorologist in December 1989. This veteran forecaster graduated with a degree in Meteorology and was trained as a forecaster in the United States Air Force. During his ten years on active duty with the USAF, He served a thirteen-month tour in Vietnam from 1970-1971. He was later given a special assignment to the National Emergency Command Aircraft, 1st Airborne Command Control Squadron in direct support of “Air Force One” at Andrews AFB, Maryland. He was a Severe Storms Forecaster, assigned to the Air Force Global Weather Center at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, providing aviation forecasts in support of Air Force and Department of Defense missions worldwide. He served 11 years with the Utah Air National Guard, and recently retired from the Air force after 27 years of service.
Sterling’s television career began in 1985 when he joined KSL television in Salt Lake City as a weather producer and meteorologist. Sterling is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, with the seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society. He served a three-year term as a member of the Board of Broadcast Meteorologists from 1997-2000. He chaired the AMS Broadcaster’s National Convention in San Francisco in June 2000. He enjoys visiting schools with the 2News Storm Tracker speaking to school kids about weather and science. He is a member of the Clark Planetarium Board of Directors, the Days of ’47 Board of Directors, Board chair of the West Valley Symphony of Utah, and Board Chair of the Choral Arts Society of Utah. He also serves on the board of the Utah National Guard Charitable Trust.
Sterling resides in Centerville and enjoys fishing and spending time with his family, including his five children and thirteen grandchildren.