Leanne Freeman-Miller, soprano, is an Associate Professor of Voice at Drake University, teaching studio voice, vocal pedagogy and vocal literature. 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, including a collaboration of the Des Moines Choral Society and Des Moines Ballet’s premier of Stephen Laurent’s Catulli Carmina and the Choral Society’s production of Haydn’s The Creation.

She has been featured as soprano soloist for numerous performances of Handel’s Messiah and has appeared as soloist for such works as Vivaldi’s Gloria, Poulenc’s Gloria, Mozart’s Mass in C and Regina coeli, Haydn’s Nelson Mass and The Seasons, Bach’s Magnificat, Honegger’s King David, Schubert’s Mass in G, Brahms’ Requiem, and Mozart’s Requiem, among others.

She 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. An active recitalist, Ms. Freeman-Miller and her accompanist, Michelle Havlik-Jergens, have performed numerous recitals locally, regionally and nationally, including venues in the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, Texas and San Diego, California. An active proponent of contemporary vocal repertoire, Ms. Freeman-Miller has premiered and performed several works by emerging American composers, including William Dougherty, Christopher Drobny, Elaine Erickson and John Armstrong. She has twice been a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, national honorary music society.

Ms. Freeman-Miller is also a renowned teacher in the region. A member of the Voice Foundation, she is committed to researching and acquiring new knowledge concerning voice science and pedagogy. Her students are frequent winners of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) competitions, Quad Cities Opera Young Artist Competition, and have been semi-finalists in the Singer of the Year Competition, sponsored by Shreveport Opera. Students have also been accepted to national and international summer programs, including University of Miami, Salzburg, AIMS in Graz, Austria, Oberlin in Italy, and have performed roles with Cedar Rapids Opera, Shreveport Opera, among others. Her students have been accepted into the country’s top graduate schools, including Indiana University, Cincinnati Conservatory, Westminster Choir College of Rider University, and New England Conservatory, and two students have been members of the internationally famous male a cappella ensemble, Chanticleer. She is a past president of the Iowa NATS Chapter and is in demand as an adjudicator and clinician.

RECENT FREEMAN-MILLER STUDENT HONORS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

*MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) National Finalist:

Leah McIntire, soprano, freshman bachelor of arts major

After winning the state and regional competitions in October, 2007 and January, 2008,
Leah will compete in the national competition of the Senior Voice Division in Denver in
March.

*MTNA State Competition Young Artist Division Winners:

Heather Herkelman, soprano, winner, junior music education major
Chelsea Smith, soprano, alternate, junior vocal performance major
Alexis VanVleet, soprano, honorable mention, bachelor of arts major

*MTNA Regional Competition Results:

Senior Division Winner                Leah McIntire, soprano
Young Artist Division Alternate   Heather Herkelman, soprano


*Regional NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) Competition Winners & Finalists:
November, 2007, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois - Iowa, Illinois, Missouri

1st Place Freshmen Women    Leah McIntire, soprano
2nd Place Senior Women        Natalie Neimann, soprano
3rd Place Junior Women        Chelsea Smith, soprano
1st Place High School Men     Alan Nagel, baritone

NATS Semi-Finalists:

Amy Alley, freshmen women, mezzo-soprano
Maureen Malley, sophomore women, mezzo-soprano
Harold Dudley, sophomore men, bass-baritone
Sean Buhr, sophomore men, baritone
Alexis VanVleet, sophomore women, soprano
Eleanor Owens, junior women, soprano
Anthony DiMeglio, junior men, baritone
Jenna Stinson, junior women, soprano
Eric Carlson, senior men, bass-baritone