Members at Large
Emily Alvarez
Soprano Emily Alvarez enjoys a career consisting of both teaching and performing. She received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, and Bachelor of Arts in Music and History from Luther College, where she graduated summa cum laude and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Full roles performed by Alvarez include, Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), Wife (The Music Shopby Richard Wargo), La Rose (Le Petit Prince), Mae (The Pajama Game), and Lady Thiang (The King & I) in addition to many scenes from operas and musicals. She was featured as the soprano soloist in the world premier of Stephen Paulus’ Luther Mass at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, MN to celebrate the sesquicentennial of Luther College. Alvarez participated in the Welsey Balk Institute for Opera/Musical Theater singers in Minneapolis, and continues to perform solo recitals of operatic, oratorio, musical theater, and art song repertoire. As a choral soloist, Alvarez performed Carmina Burana and John Rutter’s Gloria with the Lakeshore Chorale in Sheboygan, WI.
Alvarez is currently Instructor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Lakeland University, directing the Lakeland Choir, teaching applied voice and other music courses, in addition to maintaining a private voice studio. Her students have received professional contracts with the Skylight Opera Company in Milwaukee, WI, and KIDS From Wisconsin. Also from her studio was a first place winner in the NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) District auditions in both the Classical and Musical Theater divisions. Teachers and coaches to note include Connie Haas, Janna Ernst, Jeanine Wagner, David Dillard, Rachel Ware Carlton, Margaret Simmons, Jessica Paul, Tim Fink, and Kevin Smith.
You can contact Emily directly by clicking this link: alvarez.emilyk@gmail.com
Full roles performed by Alvarez include, Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), Wife (The Music Shopby Richard Wargo), La Rose (Le Petit Prince), Mae (The Pajama Game), and Lady Thiang (The King & I) in addition to many scenes from operas and musicals. She was featured as the soprano soloist in the world premier of Stephen Paulus’ Luther Mass at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, MN to celebrate the sesquicentennial of Luther College. Alvarez participated in the Welsey Balk Institute for Opera/Musical Theater singers in Minneapolis, and continues to perform solo recitals of operatic, oratorio, musical theater, and art song repertoire. As a choral soloist, Alvarez performed Carmina Burana and John Rutter’s Gloria with the Lakeshore Chorale in Sheboygan, WI.
Alvarez is currently Instructor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Lakeland University, directing the Lakeland Choir, teaching applied voice and other music courses, in addition to maintaining a private voice studio. Her students have received professional contracts with the Skylight Opera Company in Milwaukee, WI, and KIDS From Wisconsin. Also from her studio was a first place winner in the NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) District auditions in both the Classical and Musical Theater divisions. Teachers and coaches to note include Connie Haas, Janna Ernst, Jeanine Wagner, David Dillard, Rachel Ware Carlton, Margaret Simmons, Jessica Paul, Tim Fink, and Kevin Smith.
You can contact Emily directly by clicking this link: alvarez.emilyk@gmail.com
Anna Hersey
Hailed by critics as a “force of nature,” soprano Anna Hersey enjoys performing a wide range of vocal repertoire. A native of Minnesota, Dr. Hersey has performed throughout the United States and Europe, appearing with Palm Beach Opera, Florida Chamber Orchestra, Hispanic-American Lyric Theater, Skylark Opera, The Minnesota Opera, and Theatre de la Jeune Lune (at Berkeley Repertory Theater), among others.
A noted expert on Scandinavian vocal literature and diction, Dr. Hersey was a Fulbright Scholar at the Kungliga Musikhögskolan (Royal College of Music) in Stockholm, where she collaborated with pianist Matti Hirvonen. Dr. Hersey also conducted research at Det Kongelige Danske Musikkonservatorium (Royal Danish Academy of Music) and Københavns Universitet (University of Copenhagen), thanks to a post-doctoral fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation.
Dr. Hersey’s articles have been published in the Journal of Singing, VOICEPrints, and The Opera Journal, and her translations have been published by Carnegie Hall. Her first book, Scandinavian Song: A Guide to Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish Diction and Repertoire was released by Rowman & Littlefield in September 2016. Her recital performances have been sponsored by Finlandia Foundation, American Scandinavian Foundation, Sons of Norway, The Lief Eriksson International Festival, and The Grieg Society.
Dr. Hersey holds master’s degrees in performance and musicology from the University of Minnesota, and pursued advanced studies at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. She earned a doctorate from the University of Miami, where she was a Smathers Fellow. She is Associate Professor of Voice at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
You can contact Anna directly by clicking this link: herseya@uwosh.edu
A noted expert on Scandinavian vocal literature and diction, Dr. Hersey was a Fulbright Scholar at the Kungliga Musikhögskolan (Royal College of Music) in Stockholm, where she collaborated with pianist Matti Hirvonen. Dr. Hersey also conducted research at Det Kongelige Danske Musikkonservatorium (Royal Danish Academy of Music) and Københavns Universitet (University of Copenhagen), thanks to a post-doctoral fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation.
Dr. Hersey’s articles have been published in the Journal of Singing, VOICEPrints, and The Opera Journal, and her translations have been published by Carnegie Hall. Her first book, Scandinavian Song: A Guide to Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish Diction and Repertoire was released by Rowman & Littlefield in September 2016. Her recital performances have been sponsored by Finlandia Foundation, American Scandinavian Foundation, Sons of Norway, The Lief Eriksson International Festival, and The Grieg Society.
Dr. Hersey holds master’s degrees in performance and musicology from the University of Minnesota, and pursued advanced studies at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. She earned a doctorate from the University of Miami, where she was a Smathers Fellow. She is Associate Professor of Voice at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
You can contact Anna directly by clicking this link: herseya@uwosh.edu
Julia Rottmayer
Soprano Julia Rottmayer, assistant adjunct professor of voice, is active in the stage, concert, and teaching arenas. Along with her interpretation of standard repertoire, Dr. Rottmayer is an avid performer and champion of contemporary and early music. Recent performances include the title role in Les Mamelles de Tirésias and Everly Shrills in The Impresario with Opera Orlando. In 2014, Dr. Rottmayer was honored to be chosen as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana with the Orlando Ballet for the grand opening of Orlando’s premiere performing venue, The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Other favorites include her performances as soprano soloist in Brahms’ Requiem, Mozart’s Grand Mass in C, Tippett’s A Child of Our Time, Haydn’s Creation, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and as Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Blanche in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmelites, Beth in Adamo’s Little Women, Mabel in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, Adele in Die Fledermaus, and Rose Maurrant in Weill’s Street Scene. In addition to her numerous concert and operatic credits, Dr. Rottmayer has toured nationally, singing art song recitals with repertoire ranging from Bach to Berg, Clérambault to Fauré, Lauridsen to Mussorgsky, and much more. She has premiered works for such art song composers as Scott Gendel and Daniel Crozier, and was honored to sing for former President of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel.
In addition to performing, Dr. Rottmayer is a dedicated voice teacher. She maintains a private voice studio and is a member of the voice faculty at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is a frequent master class clinician, workshop presenter, and adjudicator at universities and competitions. Dr. Rottmayer has served as president of the Central Florida Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) from 2013-2018 and is currently a member of the board of directors for MusikTheater Bavaria, a training program for opera and musical theater young artists held each summer in Oberaudorf, Germany. Past appointments include Assistant Professor of Voice at Rollins College where she supervised 12 adjunct voice and opera instructors, led a voice area of over 90 voice students, taught countless voice-related courses, and received the Professing Excellence award. She has also served as a member of the faculties of Kingwood College, Opera Orlando Youth Company, Berkshire Choral International, and MusikTheater Bavaria.
Dr. Rottmayer holds voice performance degrees from the University of Wisconsin – Madison (BM), the Eastman School of Music (MM), and the Moores School of Music, University of Houston (DMA). In dedication to evidence-based teaching, Dr. Rottmayer has pursued further education in vocal health and voice science as it relates to singing and speech, having earned her certificate in Vocology from the National Center for Voice and Speech in 2012 with continuing studies at the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida since.
You can contact Julia directly by clicking this link: JuliaRottmayer@gmail.com
In addition to performing, Dr. Rottmayer is a dedicated voice teacher. She maintains a private voice studio and is a member of the voice faculty at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is a frequent master class clinician, workshop presenter, and adjudicator at universities and competitions. Dr. Rottmayer has served as president of the Central Florida Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) from 2013-2018 and is currently a member of the board of directors for MusikTheater Bavaria, a training program for opera and musical theater young artists held each summer in Oberaudorf, Germany. Past appointments include Assistant Professor of Voice at Rollins College where she supervised 12 adjunct voice and opera instructors, led a voice area of over 90 voice students, taught countless voice-related courses, and received the Professing Excellence award. She has also served as a member of the faculties of Kingwood College, Opera Orlando Youth Company, Berkshire Choral International, and MusikTheater Bavaria.
Dr. Rottmayer holds voice performance degrees from the University of Wisconsin – Madison (BM), the Eastman School of Music (MM), and the Moores School of Music, University of Houston (DMA). In dedication to evidence-based teaching, Dr. Rottmayer has pursued further education in vocal health and voice science as it relates to singing and speech, having earned her certificate in Vocology from the National Center for Voice and Speech in 2012 with continuing studies at the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida since.
You can contact Julia directly by clicking this link: JuliaRottmayer@gmail.com
