SPOTLIGHTS ILA FACULTY

Thomas Michael Allen

Vocal Arts & Opera Faculty

USC,Thornton School of Music, CA

Lyric Tenor Thomas Michael Allen has enjoyed an international singing career that has spanned over two decades. Allen has performed at Théatre des Champs-Élyées in Paris, Zurich Opera, Staatsoper Berlin, La Monnaie in Brussels, Grand Théatre de Genève, Baden-Baden Easter Festival, Opéra de Lyon, Opéra de Monte Carlo, de Nederlandse Opera, Stuttgart Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and the Glimmerglass Festival. He has been a soloist with the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, National Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Les Musiciens du Louvre, the Academy for Ancient Music and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under the baton of such conductors as Sir Simon Rattle, William Christie, René Jacobs, Marc Minkowski, Simone Young, Gary Bertini, Helmut Rilling, Christoph Eschenbach, and Kurt Masur. (For more, visit https://music.usc.edu/thomas-allen/ )

LEANNE FREEMAN-MILLER Professor of Voice Drake University, IA

Leanne Freeman-Miller, soprano, is a Professor of Voice at Drake University, teaching studio voice, vocal pedagogy, and Italian & German diction. In May 2006, she received the Madelyn Levitt Teacher of the Year award, Drake’s highest honor awarded to faculty for teaching. Ms. Freeman-Miller has appeared frequently as a soloist with many performing groups in the Midwest region in oratorio and opera. She was the soprano soloist for Stephen Paulus’ To Be Certain of the Dawn at the Des Moines Civic Center, and has also appeared on the Salisbury House Chamber Music series, Onstage at the Des Moines Art Center, and has extensive musical theatre experience in both performing and musical direction. (For more, visit https://www.drake.edu/music/faculty/leannefreeman-miller/ )

Yunah Lee

Assistant Professor of Voice University of Arizona, AZ

Korean American lyric Soprano Yunah Lee has been praised in the U.S., Europe and Asia for her “handsomely colored full lyric sound” (Opera News) and “picture perfect” acting (Berkshire Fine Arts). Performances in the title role of Madama Butterfly were hailed in Germany as “a revelation… [her] voice unites the girlish innocence and the wistful sensuality [of Cio Cio San]” (Online Musik Magazine). “…thoroughly captivating, above all thanks to Yunah Lee, who is utterly convincing in mood and presentation… a commanding and touching performance revealing the highs and lows of Butterfly’s emotions.” (Das Operngals). Ever since she made her professional debut with New York City Opera while a student at the Juilliard school, Ms. Lee has been in demand for operatic engagements all around the world. (For more, visit https://cfa. arizona.edu/profile/yunahlee/ )

Matthew Markham

Associate Professor of Voice University of Wisconsin SP, WI

Baritone Matthew Markham enjoys an active career on the operatic, concert, and recital stages. He has appeared on the operatic stage with Ash Lawn Opera, Janiec Opera, Spoleto Festival, New Jersey Opera, Manhattan Opera Theater of the French Institute Alliance Française, Da Ponte Concert Opera, Westminster Opera Theater, and Florida State Opera. Roles span Mozart through lyric French and English/American opera. He is a frequent soloist in oratorio ranging Bach to Britten and has performed in prestigious concert venues including Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City and Suk Hall at the Rudolfinum in Prague, Czech Republic.An avid interpreter of art song, he has worked with musical luminaries Martin Katz, Graham Johnson, John Harbison, Jake Heggie, Ricky Ian Gordon and the late Craig Smith in performances at Songfest in Malibu, California. (For more, visit https://www.uwsp.edu/directory/profile/matthew-markham/ )

Christine Blanner

Teaching Associate of Voice

Drake University, IA

Christine Blanner received her Bachelor of Music from Drake University in 2003 after which she moved to Boston, MA and received her Masters of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music in 2006, graduating with academic honors. Christine has performed many roles all over the country and has sung in recitals and concerts throughout Europe in Italy, Switzerland, and France. Christine’s roles include Ruth in Sparks Fly Upward, Polly Peacham in Threepenny Opera, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Mme. Heartmelt in The Impresario, Bastienne in Bastien und Bastienne, Clara in Signor Deluso, Juliet in The Little Sweep, Angelina in Trial by Jury and Second Woman in Dido and Aeneas. Her Oratorio credits include Second Soprano Soloist in Mozart’s C Minor Mass with...] (For more, visit: https://www. drake.edu/music/facultystaff/christineblanner/ )

EUN-MEE KO

Chair, Voive Depart. Pre College San Francisco Conservatory

Teaching classical voice and musical theater and specializing in preparation for performances, competitions, and auditions for colleges (Extra Curricular) & music schools for Pre-College students and Continuing Education students who are on the professional track. Her students have won numerous awards in local, national, and international competitions, including Junior Bach Audition, the Pacific Music Society & Foundation Annual Competition, the United States International Music Competition, International American Protégé Competition, Schmidt Vocal Competition, CS Music Vocal Competition, and others. Her students participated in prominent summer music festivals, including Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, Interlochen Arts Camp, and International Lyric Academy, where she is on the faculty and others. She has been an adjudicator for auditions and competitions, including the United States International Competition and the New York Lyric Opera National Voice Competition.. (For more, visit: https://sfcm.edu/study/ faculty/eun-mee-ko )

David Fiorello

Musical Theater Director

Loyola University, Chicago

David Fiorello is an Equity Jeff Award-winning Music Director, Director, Performer, Orchestrator and Playwright that’s had his work featured across the globe. Most recent credits include serving as Music Director for Blues in the Night (starring Tony-Nominee Felicia P. Fields), Music Directing To Be with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and served as Director & Music Director for the East Coast and International Premiere of his show With a Song in My Heart: The Romance of Richard Rodgers. He Music Directed the hit production of Gypsy in Chicago, starring 8-time Jeff Award-Winner E. Faye Butler, has toured internationally with John Doyle’s re-imagined Sweeney Todd, and served as Music Director for the Off-Broadway hit Danny & Sylvia: The Danny Kaye Story. (For more, visit https://www.luc.edu/ theatre/aboutus/facultyandproductionstaff/davidfiorello.shtml

Kerry Jennings

Associate Professor Opera Director

California State Univ., Fullerton

Dr. Kerry Jennings is an Associate Professor of Opera Studies at Cal State Fullerton. His stage direction has recently been recognized with 1st and 2nd Place Awards in the National Opera Association’s Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition with scenes from The Ballad of Baby Doe (2021) and Der Rosenkavalier (2020), as well as being named a national finalist for The American Prize in Collegiate Opera Direction for his production of Massenet’s Cendrillon. Additional directorial credits encompass works from Monteverdi to composers of the 21st Century and include highlights such as L’Incoronazione di Poppea, Dido and Aeneas, Cosí fan tutte, Hänsel und Gretel, La bella dormente nel bosco, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi, Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Old Maid and the Thief, Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters, Sorry, Wrong Number, and The Cows of Apollo. Jennings also recently directed a production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte for the Austrian American Vocal Academy at the Kleines Theater in Salzburg. (For more, visit: https://www.fullerton.edu/arts/music/ about_us/faculty_administration/jennings_k.php )

LISA KAY FLETCHER

Teacher of Voice, CEO, The Mona Lisa Life

Lisa Kay Fletcher (LK Fletcher) is the consummate performer. A critically acclaimed singer, pianist and conductor she has an international reputation as a master teacher and clinician, opera singer and stage director. LK is an Equity actress, a published playwright and composer, and a national drama critic. More importantly, she is a mentor, an educator and encourager to thousands of performers. She has served as a music professor at several institutions including Colorado Christian University and taught in summer opera programs in Europe and throughout the U.S. Her students are active music educators, performers, recording artists and outstanding musicians in multiple venues. (For more, visit: https://www.nats.org/cgi/page. cgi/_membership.html/67069-Lisa-Kay-Fletcher?value=TEXOMA&attr=region )

MARC DABOLL Professor of Voice University of Toronto (Canada)

A tireless researcher and advocate for the effortless singing professional, Mark Joelson Daboll is a performing baritone, music educator, and voice teacher – a capacity for which he has garnered much praise as a master technician. His 21st century teaching skill-set successfully serves the building of all voices. He is sought after as a reliable voice-renovator to professional opera and music theatre singers in all stages of their careers, and for the development and rehabilitation of misdirected voices. He is a teacher with immediate solutions to reaffirm individual, authentic vocal identity, and maximize vocal and artistic capability at the highest level of performance. Mr. Daboll serves on the Voice Faculty at the University of Toronto, teaching applied voice, and as a guest lecturer on topics in graduate-level voice pedagogy. (For more, visit: https://www. music.utoronto.ca/mob-our-people.php?fid=198 )

Lisa Engelbrecht

Pianist and Vocal Coach

Univ. of Cape Town, South Africa

Lisa is the operatic vocal coach at Opera UCT and also regularly coaches and accompanies singers at Cape Town Opera and is a guest vocal coach locally at the University of North West’s Conservatoire of Music and internationally at the Royal College and Academies of Music in London. Lisa is on the teaching faculty as Coach/Accompanist of the International Lyric Academy in Vicenza, Italy. She also lectures in Lyric Diction. Lisa initially received her BMus degree at UCT in Piano Performance but went on to study voice in Milan, Italy with Virginia Borroni and completed an opera diploma at the Piccolo Conservatorio. She decided to fuse her skills as both singer and pianist when she was accepted on a full scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London fora Post Graduate diploma in Higher Performance for Repétitéurs in 1998. She subsequently coached for the Jeunes Voix du Rhin opera program in Strasbourg, The Renata Scotto academy in Savona, Italy, The Merola Opera Program (San Francisco Opera) and Glimmerglass (New York State).

(For more visit: https://humanities.uct.ac.za/college-music/contacts/ )

Rebecca Steinke

Teacher of Voice, Chorus Master

St. Lawrence Catholic Church

Rebecca Steinke was born in Tampa and has lived in San Diego California for the last 23 years. Rebecca has been a professional director of music since 1990, and before that a volunteer since the age of 9. Over the course of her career she has worked with just about every type of music program: retirees, multi-generational choirs, university students, tenn and children’s choirs . She has worked with musical styles from the Medieval/Renaissance to the present day. Rebecca has two degrees in music: Applied Voice from USF and a Masters of Music Education from the University of Florida. (For more, visit: https://stlawrence.org/ ministry/ministry-directory/liturgical/music/director-of-music/ )