Singing with Lesley F.

I am an accomplished classically trained operatic soprano at the beginning of my career. I grew up all over the United States, attending high school in Tennessee where I was very active in high school theatre, playing roles like Aunt Eller in Oklahoma! and Glinda in The Wizard of Oz. I currently sings operatic repertoire ranging from Mozart to Bernstein and loves new composers and exploring new music. I have studied with numerous teachers, coaches, directors, and conductors who have shaped me as a musician, and I hope to be able to impart some of what I have learned. I love to sing, and would love to help you explore singing as well. My students have received college scholarships, advanced in national competitions, and had successful auditions in both classical and Broadway style singing. My students have performed in musicals, plays, choirs, and operas. I look forward to exploring your voice with you! I currently teach in Bloomington, IN and online, I have previously taught in the Atlanta area for four years, as well as New Jersey and Boston, MA. I enjoy working with my students to discover and develop their true voice and passion for music! After studying vocal pedagogy, vocal anatomy, Body Mapping, Alexander Technique, acting, dance, movement, and of course years of musical study, I have honed my skills as a teacher and wants to share them with you! Healthy breathing, physicality, phonation, and resonance techniques are crucial to any style of singing - opera, classical, Broadway, or pop. I hold a Master's degree in Opera Performance from The Boston Conservatory and a Bachelor's degree cum laude in Vocal Performance from Montclair State University. I attended the summer training programs at the Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, CO and the Seagle Music Colony in the Adirondacks. I have studied acting for over 6 years and participated in straight theatre, as well as musical theatre. I have also worked with coaches from the Metropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Atlanta Opera, and many more! My operatic roles include: Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos, Tosca in Tosca, Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes, Giorgetta in Il tabarro, Miss Jessel in Britten's, The Turn of the Screw, Mrs. Gobineau in Menotti's The Medium, The Female Chorus in Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, Clara Deluso in Pasatieri's Signor Deluso, Magda Sorel in Menotti's The Consul, Geraldine in Menotti's A Hand of Bridge, Ariadne in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, Elisabetta in Donizetti's Maria Stuarda, Contessa d'Almaviva in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Alice Ford in Verdi's Falstaff, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, and the First Lady in Die Zauberflote. My theatre roles include: The Witch in Sondheim's Into the Woods, Aunt Eller in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Marion Hollander in Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water, Glinda in The Wizard of Oz, Lucy in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Bobby's Mother in Gershwin's Crazy For You. I am also featured on Albany Records release of Signor Deluso in the role I performed with the Opera Company of Brooklyn. I have performed the soprano solos in Verdi's Requiem, Faure's Requiem, and Gounod's St Cecilia Mass. Recently I worked closely with Stephen Schwartz - creator of the hit Broadway musical Wicked to create the starring role, Myra Foster, in his first opera - Seance on a Wet Afternoon. In 2010 I was a Metropolitan Opera National Council Semi-Finalist. I claimed third place and the Wagner award in the Orpheus National Vocal Competition. I was also recognized for excellence with the Benefactor's Award in the Saritelli DiPanni Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Fund as well as being a semi-finalist in the 2009 Jensen Competition. I enjoyed participating in NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) for many years, placing every year in college, and taking home first prize senior year. In my junior year, I won my entire division for the Eastern Regional NATS competitions. I also participated in the All-State choirs for 3 years in high school, taking first chair soprano 1 in my senior year, and being awarded a solo.