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The American mezzo-soprano and voice teacher, Beth Ray Westlund, obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Luther College Decorah, Iowa (1989); her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music/Music Education from Luther College; her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance and her D.M.A. degree in Vocal Performance from University of Texas at Austin, studying under Rose Taylor and Terry Lusk. An article based on her doctoral treatise, “Dominick Argento’s Casa Guidi: A Character and Musical Study” appeared in Journal of Singing.
Beth Ray Westlund is an active performer, teacher, clinician, and scholar. Featured solo performances with professional orchestra include: the Angel in Sir Edward Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, Rahab in Jesse Ayer’s Rahab; J.S. Bach's Magnificat, St. John Passion, Christmas Oratorio, and Mass in B minor; L.v. Beethoven's Mass in C and Symphony No. 9; Johannes Brahms' Alto Rhapsody; George Frideric Handel's Messiah and Belshazzar; Haydn's Missa Sanctae Caecilae, Missa in tempore belli, Missa in Angustiis and Heligmesse; W.A. Mozart's Requiem and Vesperae Solennes; Maurice Duruflé's Requiem; Ralph Vaughan Williams' Mass in G minor, and Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light, performed with Anonymous 4. Operatic credits include Dido in Dido and Aeneas, Dorabella in W.A. Mozart's Così fan tutti, Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Mother Marie in Francis Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Mrs. Grose in Benjamin Britten's Turn of the Screw.
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Dr. Ray is Professor of Music at her alma mater Luther College, where she teaches studio voice, diction, opera scenes, and serves as Associate Department Head (since June 2019). Previous to this, she was Assistant Professor of voice at Ithaca College School of Music in Ithaca, New York. She has given multiple presentations of her 2010 sabbatical research on the dramatic context surrounding operatic arias of G.F. Handel. Her current research focus is Body Mapping for musicians, a method for improving the quality of movement in music making for enhanced performance and injury prevention. She was licensed by the Association for Body Mapping Education in January 2018. She joined the Faculty of the International Music Festival of the Adriatic (IMFA) in summer, 2019. |
