Professional opera singer finds new passion in teaching at UP
Professor Leupp-Hanig, assistant professor of music, settles into her new office. Leupp-Hanig is the new vocal music instructor for the music department and hopes to increase the number of students in the department. (Jackie Jeffers | The Beacon)
By Amanda Munro, Staff Writer schenbea15@up.edu
Professor Nicole Leupp-Hanig has everything a University could want in a full-time vocal music instructor: experience, passion and big ideas for the music department. With a background in classical and operatic singing, Leupp-Hanig plans on expanding and diversifying the program as well as providing more performance opportunities for vocal music students.
The music department's newest faculty member came to University of Portland because she believes strongly in the idea of a liberal arts education and music's role in it. Professor Leupp-Hanig will teach Introduction to Fine Arts and give private voice lessons this fall.
"I'm excited to work with goal-oriented musicians and students from other departments," Leupp-Hanig said.
Leupp-Hanig started her career as a mezzo soprano, singing music from the Baroque period on the East Coast. After several years singing with companies such as Boston Baroque, she decided to pursue her education by moving to London and enrolling in the Royal Academy of Music as a soprano opera singer. After graduating with the Diploma of the Royal Academy for distinction in performance, she appeared in music festivals in Sweden, Italy and Japan, and performed in multiple operas such as Le Nozze de Figaro and Die Fledermaus.
While pursuing her musical career in London, Leupp-Hanig discovered a way to do something more meaningful and service-oriented with her skills by teaching voice lessons.
"I think you really have to build up experiences to be a meaningful teacher," she said.
Leupp-Hanig obtained her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Illinois, where she became close friends with famous accompanist John Wustman, who has performed with some of the greatest singers of the century. Leupp-Hanig hopes to bring Wustman to UP for a performance in the spring.
Leupp-Hanig also aims to increase the number of students in the music department, as well as the number of programs and opportunities for singers. Her goals for UP include starting an opera workshop by next fall, performing one opera a year, diversifying song repertoire and giving students more performance opportunities.
"I think one of the best ways to grow as a musician is to get up on stage and perform," Leupp-Hanig said.
She will make her debut at UP performing the song cycle "Sheherazade" by Maurice Ravel with the University of Portland Orchestra on Oct. 6 in the Buckley Center Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
"There's too much music in the world to say, 'Oh, I don't like country' or 'I don't like rap,'" Leupp-Hanig said. "There's something in every genre that we'll be drawn to. I'm biased to good, passionate singing; there's something about the words and the way someone presents those words...you can find that in every genre of music."
