Richard Nance is the Director of Choral Activities at Pacific Lutheran University where he has worked since 1992. At PLU Nance conducts the Choir of the West, Choral Union, and teaches classes in choral conducting. Nance holds bachelors and masters degrees from West Texas State University and the Doctor of Musical Arts from Arizona State University. He has studied conducting with Hugh Sanders, Douglas McEwen and David Stocker, and composition with Joseph Nelson and Randall Shinn. Nance is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and has held many state and divisional offices. He currently serves as president for the Northwestern division. Nance's choirs have appeared at several ACDA and MENC conventions and have toured Europe on four occasions.

Richard Nance is widely recognized for his choral arrangements and compositions, which are published by Walton Music, Hinshaw Music and Colla Voce Music. In 2002 Nance was selected to compose the prestigious Raymond Brock Memorial Composition for the American Choral Directors Association. Other composers who have shared this honor include Gian-Carlo Menotti, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Rene Clausen, Daniel Pinkham, Samuel Adler and Gwyneth Walker.