Gerdiene Finds Her Voice
Posted on: Mar 29, 2019
Gerdiene arrived at Concordia knowing she loved to sing, and hoping to learn more about how to use her voice. Her years here have provided a journey that took her to places she might not have expected, including a passion for opera and teaching, as well as for a certain young man she met through the Concordia Concert Choir.
Under the mentorship of voice instructor Jolaine Kerley, Gerdiene’s voice developed power and finesse, as did her relationship with Karl Trautmann. Just weeks after the “choir couple” married last summer, she participated in Calgary’s celebrated Cowtown Opera Summer Academy (“providing world-class training to aspiring opera singers since 2012”). She loved being immersed in the genre for that week-plus, and the program helped prepare her to earn a coveted berth in Opera Nuova’s intensive Ten-Day Development Program for Singers (12 hours a day!). Next year she hopes to be among the first to complete Concordia’s proposed Vocal Performance and Pedagogy certificate (in development for Fall 2019), and eventually to follow up with a Master’s in Vocal Performance.
“[This] has been an amazing journey thanks largely to my voice professor and peers,” she says. “My musical growth has been much more than I was expecting and I can’t wait to continue developing my instrument after I finish my degree!” Jolaine says, “I see a talented young singer who has developed her love of music through her studies at Concordia. She has focused on her vocal studies through both her performance and a new-found interest in vocal pedagogy.”
This Saturday Gerdiene Trautmann celebrates the pinnacle of her musical journey, her senior recital, with pieces written by or about strong women. In What Is Woman? she touches on many aspects and levels of womanhood: spiritual woman, motherly woman, strength within women, women characters, and women composers.
Catch her (with cameo by husband Karl, baritone) in What Is Woman? this Saturday, March 30—details here. The recital is free and open to the public, with reception following.
Gerdiene’s recital poster and wedding photo–just the latest Concert Choir couple to tie the knot!
The full slate of upcoming recitals:
Mar 30 WHAT IS WOMAN? Gerdiene Trautmann
Apr 6 EMERGE Christina Sawchuk
Apr 12 ENCHANTED Kira Dawson
Apr 13 THE RINGING ARTISTRY Isabela Ramos profile
Apr 14 TAKING FLIGHT Joanna Wittmeier