Biography
Rebecca Olthafer is originally from Belmont, WI. She completed her BA in Music Education at Luther College, MM in vocal performance at UW-Madison and DMA at UW-Madison. Rebecca currently studies with Julia Faulkner.
Rebecca’s roles include
the Second Lady in
Die Zauberflöte, Mercedes in Act II of Carmen,
(Opening Overture
Concert Series), and Kate Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly with
Madison Opera, Third Spirit in Die Zauberflöte with
Operafestival di Roma Young Artist Program, matinee performances as
Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro and Flora in La Traviata
with
Opera North Young Artist Program, Jezibaba/Foreign Princess in
Rusalka with
Opera for the Young, Edith in Pirates of Penzance with
Music by the Lake, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, Hansel in
Hansel and Gretel, Serse in Serse, and Juno in Orpheus in
the Underworld with
UW-Madison Opera, and Second Lady in The Magic Flute and
Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus at Luther College. Other roles include
Julia Child in Bon Appetit a one act opera by Lee Hoiby, Veronique
in Dr. Miracle, and Filing Clerk in Machinal (world
premier) by Christopher Ryan.
Rebecca is also an active recitalist, oratorio singer and frequent
performer of
contemporary music. Rebecca has appeared with Milwaukee Symphony
Orchestra, as a guest soloist in King
David with UW-Madison Concert Choir, Elijah and Israel in
Egypt with UW-Madison Choral Union, UW-Madison Contemporary Chamber
Ensemble and the Wisconsin Alliance of Composers State Conference.
Recitals include 20th Century Art Song, French Art Song, and
Music that Deals with AIDS/HIV.
Awards include the UW-Madison School of Music Graduate Host Project
Assistantship, David and Edith Sinaiko Frank Graduate
Fellowship for a Woman in the Arts, Dara Elizabeth Welty Memorial Award
for an Outstanding Student Majoring in Voice, Vocal Excellence Award, and the
Director’s Scholarship for Stewardship to the UW-Madison School of Music, Gladys Moen Music Scholarship,
Carl R. Granrud
Memorial Scholarship, and the Weston Noble Music Scholarship.
As a professor of voice, Rebecca has served as an adjunct faculty member
at Viterbo University in LaCrosse,
WI, Luther
College in Decorah, IA and currently at North Park University in Chicago, IL. Rebecca has also taught voice at Music by the Lake Academy of the Arts at
Aurora University, George Williams Campus
in Williams Bay, WI, voice and piano at Music by Mickey in Verona, WI,
voice and piano at A Step Above Dance and Music Academy in Monona, WI, and voice
classes at Madison Summer Music Clinic,
and currently teaches private voice and piano in Chicago, IL. Rebecca is an active member of
the
National Association of Teachers of Singing
and its Illinois and Wisconsin Chapters.