Kelly Kruse
Kelly has been actively involved in voice study since 2000 and has been teaching voice lessons for twelve years.
She received her MM in Voice with an emphasis in Opera Studies from Indiana University where she studied with renowned soprano Costanza Cuccaro. While at IU, she sang several lead roles in IU Opera Theater productions, working with coaches and conductors from around the world. She had the opportunity to create the role of Sien in the world premier of Bernard Rand's Vincent. She completed her BM in Vocal Performance at Iowa State University where she studied with mezzo-soprano Mary Creswell.
Kelly has participated in masterclasses with Nico Castell, Gary Arvin, Nic Muni, and Ward Holmquist. She has worked with conductors, coaches, and stage directors Nic Muni, Vincent Liotta, Arthur Fagen, Gary Arvin, Gordon Gerrard, and Andrew Adams. She has won first place in four National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions (NATS) and was a winner of the Iowa District Metropolitan Opera Auditions.
A passionate music educator, Kelly focuses on building each individual instrument with a foundation on the technical aspects of singing. She gives particular attention to healthy breath function and vocal placement and specializes in working with female voices. She teaches with an emphasis on blending registers and creating a unified, single instrument. With a love for the nuances of language, Kelly and students in her studio work to perfect diction and linguistic style. Kelly views her students as artistic collaborators and also spends time coaching them to make deliberate choices that convey poetic and emotional depth.
It is her ultimate goal to help students gain the confidence to be independent, thinking artists, and to equip each student with the tools necessary to accomplish their unique goals.
Her students have gone on to major in music, receiving talent scholarships. She has had students participate in the Ginger Frost High School Honors artist program through the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Her students routinely receive high ratings at Missouri District and State contests and NATS competitions. They are regular participants in Missouri All-State and All-District choirs, ACDA and MCDA honor choirs, and often play leading roles in high school and community musical productions. She has guided students through full solo recitals and roles in musicals.
Kelly also maintains an active studio at Metropolitan Community College (Blue River) and also teaches Music Appreciation there. In addition to her career in music education, Kelly pursues a full-time visual arts studio practice. Her work can be seen in private and corporate collections around the world.
