Elena currently teaches undergraduate voice and voice class at the University of Minnesota, and maintains a private voice studio in Woodbury, MN. Her teaching stems from classical voice, with the belief that healthy vocal technique spans across all genres, from pop and musical theater, to opera and choral singing. Many of her students have received honors such as being selected for All-State and All-National honor choirs and Command Performance in state Solo/Ensemble competitions. Some of her students have received vocal scholarships and entered into music and voice performance programs at Florida State, Montclair State, University of Chicago, and BYU Idaho, among other colleges.
Before moving to Minnesota to pursuit her Doctorate in Voice and Choral Conducting, Elena taught for eight years out of Morristown, New Jersey, where her studio flourished with young professional and avocational singers. She also taught undergraduate private voice at Florida State University for two years while receiving her master's degree in Voice Performance. During this time, she taught privately while in Tallahassee, as well as in her home state of Alaska. She occasionally holds "boot camps" and masterclasses for her students, in collaboration with other performers and teachers in the area. With the belief that technical vocal training is a life-long journey, she also regularly takes lessons with her teacher in NYC, passing that knowledge on to her own students.
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There is great value in honing a skill and fine-tuning a talent. Students learn much more than "how to sing" in voice lessons. Self-expression and memorization techniques are explored and discovered, and frequently carry over to many aspects of life. Performance is also a large part of the learning experience, and Elena arranges several performance opportunities for her students throughout the year. Learning to perform in a high-pressure situation is crucial for any student, athlete, businessman or woman, and indeed, musician!
What Students Say
Elena's method of 'healthy singing' is extremely effective. After only one lesson I discovered my natural vibrato, and head and chest voice. Without Elena's lessons, I never would have made it to National Honor Choir, won two Command Performances at the state Solo/Ensemble competition, or even felt confident to sing and perform at all" -Ali, Classical Voice student
Since working with Elena, my confidence has risen significantly and I've developed singing skills I know will stick with me for the rest of my life. Working with her has increased my appreciation for classical singers."
-Jamie, Musical Theater student
Elena knows what teaching style works for the individual, and tops it off with a bright and bubbly personality!"
-Josie, Classical/Musical Theatre student