WVHS Choir Voice Studio
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Private voice lessons are a GREAT way for you to significantly improve your voice. Although you learn a lot in your daily choir classes, there is obviously even more that can be gained in a one-on-one setting in contrast to a choir of 30 up to even 50 voices in some of our ensembles. The teachers below have a wealth of experience and have had great success with their voice students.
Students interested in starting voice lessons through the WVHS Voice Studio should fill out the Voice Lesson Studio Interest Form. This form will give us an idea of what the student is looking for in voice lessons, what schedule they are interested in, and a few other important items of information to get started.
Once a form has been completed, we will reach out to students and their families with a Private Teacher recommendation. Once confirmed, we will put families in contact with their teacher to begin the process of lesson scheduling and payment details.
Voice Teacher Bios
Michelle Konow
Michelle Konow, Soprano, has taught private voice in the Chicago land area for over 25 years. Michelle spent 16 seasons at the Lyric Opera of Chicago where she sang with international opera greats under the direction of Bruno Bartoletti and Sir Andrew Davis. Michelle is a highly sought after voice clinician and coach for several nationally acclaimed show choirs. In addition to teaching private voice, Michelle music directs musical theatre and opera, with most recently music directing Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium at ColorBox Theatre. Michelle has studied classical voice and theatre at Brigham Young University, Indiana University and The Music Conservatory at Chicago College of Performing Arts: Roosevelt University.
Michelle’s vocal methodology is based on two tenants: developing the artist’s natural voice supported by a healthy vocal technique that enables continuous growth and expansion in both repertoire and genres – ranging from pop to classical. Year-after-year, Michelle places vocal students in the top music theatre, pop and classical music conservatories all over the nation. Additionally, many of her students have gone on to sing with regional and nationally acclaimed venues such as: American Idol, The Voice, Walt Disney World US, Walt Disney World Japan, Lyric Opera of Chicago and several Celebrity Cruise lines – just to name a few.
Dr. Sonja Mihelcic
Dr. Sonja Mihelcic has been a teacher for the past 27 years, and has been teaching WVHS voice students for 15. She is a voice teacher with great expertise in the areas of technique and style, and achieves fast and audible results with each student. She tailors her teaching style to the specific demands and goals of each student relying on the latest developments in vocal science and pedagogy
In addition to helping her students succeed in their school music programs, she also helps them being accepted and receiving scholarships from some of the most prestigious schools in the country, Dr. Mihelcic also helped a number of professional pop, country, classical, rock, folk, and musical theater singers to maximize their vocal potential, and confidently embark upon their professional music careers. Dr. Mihelcic also teaches piano and focuses on developing solid technique, musicianship, and sense of musical style. Dr. Mihelcic prepares her voice and piano students for choir and musical auditions, IL State exams in voice and piano, IMA competition, and other curricular and extracurricular activities.
Dr. Mihelcic had a 15-year international singing career as a principal soloist, performing on the concert and operatic stages in the USA, Japan, Germany, Slovakia, Mexico, and Serbia. She performed, among others, with the Dallas Opera, Forth Worth Opera, Wichita Symphony, East Slovak National Theater, Belgrade Opera, and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. Dr. Mihelcic is a member of various professional organizations, and currently serves as the Chair for Vocal AIM exams for Illinois State Music Teacher Association. She is on the board of Illinois State Music Teacher Association, and the Naperville Chapter MTA. In the past she served on the board of Chicago Chapter NATS, and she is a frequent judge at vocal and piano competitions.
Mary Elliot
Mary Elliott has been teaching voice for 30 years and has been teaching in District 204 since 1998. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre from Millikin University and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Nevada, Reno. Mary’s goal as a teacher is to help each student discover their own unique voice by developing a healthy vocal technique which is the basis for all types of singing. Students study multiple genres including art song, Broadway, pop, jazz, and opera. Mary helps students prepare school curricular literature as well as preparing for ILIMEA auditions, school musical auditions, college auditions, and community and regional theatre auditions. A highlight of Mary’s studio is the opportunity to participate in recitals. She typically produces two studio recitals a year, as well as featuring her Senior students in a concert setting of a Broadway musical. In addition, Senior students have the opportunity to prepare a solo or duet recital akin to college level degree recitals. Mary’s students have gone on to become choir conductors, private voice teachers, performers and directors in community, regional, and professional theatre productions, cruise ship performers, active members in the music business industry, and stars in their cars. For Mary, the most important aspect of taking voice lessons in middle and high school is that the student find the joy in singing.
In addition to teaching, Mary remains an active performer and director of music theatre. She was in the chorus of Chicago Light Opera Works production of H.M.S. Pinafore and has performed as soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah and Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Mary has also been a soloist with Naperville Men’s Glee Club and is a former member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and New Classic Singers. She has also participated in master classes with John Wussman and William Warfield. Other favorite roles include Maria in The Sound of Music, Mable in Pirates of Penzance, and Kathy in Company.
Students interested in starting voice lessons through the WVHS Voice Studio should fill out the Voice Lesson Studio Interest Form. This form will give us an idea of what the student is looking for in voice lessons, what schedule they are interested in, and a few other important items of information to get started.
Once a form has been completed, we will reach out to students and their families with a Private Teacher recommendation. Once confirmed, we will put families in contact with their teacher to begin the process of lesson scheduling and payment details.
Voice Teacher Bios
Michelle Konow
Michelle Konow, Soprano, has taught private voice in the Chicago land area for over 25 years. Michelle spent 16 seasons at the Lyric Opera of Chicago where she sang with international opera greats under the direction of Bruno Bartoletti and Sir Andrew Davis. Michelle is a highly sought after voice clinician and coach for several nationally acclaimed show choirs. In addition to teaching private voice, Michelle music directs musical theatre and opera, with most recently music directing Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium at ColorBox Theatre. Michelle has studied classical voice and theatre at Brigham Young University, Indiana University and The Music Conservatory at Chicago College of Performing Arts: Roosevelt University.
Michelle’s vocal methodology is based on two tenants: developing the artist’s natural voice supported by a healthy vocal technique that enables continuous growth and expansion in both repertoire and genres – ranging from pop to classical. Year-after-year, Michelle places vocal students in the top music theatre, pop and classical music conservatories all over the nation. Additionally, many of her students have gone on to sing with regional and nationally acclaimed venues such as: American Idol, The Voice, Walt Disney World US, Walt Disney World Japan, Lyric Opera of Chicago and several Celebrity Cruise lines – just to name a few.
Dr. Sonja Mihelcic
Dr. Sonja Mihelcic has been a teacher for the past 27 years, and has been teaching WVHS voice students for 15. She is a voice teacher with great expertise in the areas of technique and style, and achieves fast and audible results with each student. She tailors her teaching style to the specific demands and goals of each student relying on the latest developments in vocal science and pedagogy
In addition to helping her students succeed in their school music programs, she also helps them being accepted and receiving scholarships from some of the most prestigious schools in the country, Dr. Mihelcic also helped a number of professional pop, country, classical, rock, folk, and musical theater singers to maximize their vocal potential, and confidently embark upon their professional music careers. Dr. Mihelcic also teaches piano and focuses on developing solid technique, musicianship, and sense of musical style. Dr. Mihelcic prepares her voice and piano students for choir and musical auditions, IL State exams in voice and piano, IMA competition, and other curricular and extracurricular activities.
Dr. Mihelcic had a 15-year international singing career as a principal soloist, performing on the concert and operatic stages in the USA, Japan, Germany, Slovakia, Mexico, and Serbia. She performed, among others, with the Dallas Opera, Forth Worth Opera, Wichita Symphony, East Slovak National Theater, Belgrade Opera, and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. Dr. Mihelcic is a member of various professional organizations, and currently serves as the Chair for Vocal AIM exams for Illinois State Music Teacher Association. She is on the board of Illinois State Music Teacher Association, and the Naperville Chapter MTA. In the past she served on the board of Chicago Chapter NATS, and she is a frequent judge at vocal and piano competitions.
Mary Elliot
Mary Elliott has been teaching voice for 30 years and has been teaching in District 204 since 1998. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre from Millikin University and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Nevada, Reno. Mary’s goal as a teacher is to help each student discover their own unique voice by developing a healthy vocal technique which is the basis for all types of singing. Students study multiple genres including art song, Broadway, pop, jazz, and opera. Mary helps students prepare school curricular literature as well as preparing for ILIMEA auditions, school musical auditions, college auditions, and community and regional theatre auditions. A highlight of Mary’s studio is the opportunity to participate in recitals. She typically produces two studio recitals a year, as well as featuring her Senior students in a concert setting of a Broadway musical. In addition, Senior students have the opportunity to prepare a solo or duet recital akin to college level degree recitals. Mary’s students have gone on to become choir conductors, private voice teachers, performers and directors in community, regional, and professional theatre productions, cruise ship performers, active members in the music business industry, and stars in their cars. For Mary, the most important aspect of taking voice lessons in middle and high school is that the student find the joy in singing.
In addition to teaching, Mary remains an active performer and director of music theatre. She was in the chorus of Chicago Light Opera Works production of H.M.S. Pinafore and has performed as soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah and Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Mary has also been a soloist with Naperville Men’s Glee Club and is a former member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and New Classic Singers. She has also participated in master classes with John Wussman and William Warfield. Other favorite roles include Maria in The Sound of Music, Mable in Pirates of Penzance, and Kathy in Company.