Anne Van Etten was born in Bergen, Norway. She majored in Literature at the University of Oslo, Norway. While a student in Oslo she performed with the University Theatre under French Director Nicole Mace, and as a founding member of a vocal chamber ensemble specializing in French Renaissance music, under the direction of conductor/countertenor Carl Hoegseth. Ms.Van Etten, a spinto soprano, has extensive performance experience in Opera, as an Orchestral Concert Soloist, and as a soloist in recitals, chamber music, and oratorio. She has also performed the popular songs of Gershwin at the Ossiach Chorintischen Music Festival, Austria, and given lecture recitals on Scandinavian song. Although she sang and performed from a very young age, she did not begin formal music study and voice training until after she married her American husband, a native of Hawaii. Ms. Van Etten has lived in Colorado since 1979. Education and Training: Ms. Van Etten earned a B.M in Vocal Performance from the University of Hawaii and was subsequently admitted to the graduate school of the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, where she earned an M.M in Vocal Performance with Honors. At N.E.C. she was a winner of the Ethan Allen Scholarship Competition Award. Her primary voice teachers at N.E.C.were Ms. Gladys Zachareff-Miller and Ms. Susan Clickner, and her primary coaches Alan Rogers and Emeritus Artistic Director of the Central City Opera, John Moriarty. She has coached opera with Otto Pecha and Heinrich Schmidt, formerly of the Vienna State Opera, Austria, and with Richard Boldry of the Chicago Lyric Opera. Ms. Van Etten did Doctoral course work in Vocal Pedagogy under the late Emerita Professor Dr. Barbara Doscher at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Others she credits as influential vocal pedagogy teachers are the late Emeritus Professor Herald Stark of the University of Texas at San Antonio, and mezzo soprano Kammersangerin Erna Westenberger, Frankfurt, D.B.R. Additional training include a Diploma “Mit Auszeichnung” from Opera Master Classes at the Vienna Conservatory, Vienna, Austria, and at the American Institute of Musical Studies, Graz, Austria, with famed Wagnerian baritone George London; master classes in Mozart technique and opera with esteemed Mozart soprano Eleanor Steber; master classes with accompanist/coach John Wustman and professor Herald Stark, and master classes in German Lied with composer Hermann Reutter, among others. Ms. Van Etten sees herself as a “lifelong teacher/learner”. She continues to develop and refine her teaching methods, expanding her knowledge of pedagogy, repertoire, different styles of singing and recent voice research, through participation in seminars presented by NATS, conventions sponsored by the National Voice Foundation, attendance at Master Classes and important vocal performances, exchange of ideas with colleagues, as well as through constant study and reading of professional journals and books on the science and art of singing. Teaching Experience: Private studio: Ms. Van Etten has maintained a successful large private voice studio since 1983. Her students perform professionally in Opera and Musical Theatre as well as in popular venues, and many have been winners in major competitions and accepted to major music schools. (Please see “Student accomplishments”.) College teaching: In 1986 Ms. Van Etten was invited to start a voice program at the Community College of Aurora, the youngest of the Community Colleges in the Colorado system. At CCA she was the first recipient of the Thomas Brosh CCA Humanities Faculty Endowment Award for excellence in teaching. Ms. Van Etten recently resigned from her adjunct faculty position in order to devote more time to her private studio. Stage Direction: In 2002 Ms. Van Etten initiated, planned and directed the CCA “Black Box Opera”, a summer opera workshop intended to provide performing experience for young opera singers. The workshop has presented two full programs of Opera Scenes, and a critically acclaimed double cast production of Mozart‘s “Cosi fan tutte”. Ms. Van Etten also conceived and directed the entertainment ensemble “Encore Classics” which has performed at private and public venues throughout Colorado, including two main stage performances for “The Capitol Hill People’s Fair“. She has also directed and coached singers for CCA theatrical productions of “Quilters”, and coached incidental music for a production of Shakespeare scenes and cabaret style talent shows. “ Your “Cosi” was wonderful, scintillating, and charming! Great cast of young excellent voices. Thank you for a most memorable day at the opera”. Charles L. Ralph, Editor, Opera Pronto. Master Classes: Drawing on her varied performing experience as an actress and singer, Ms. Van Etten is an effective Master Class Teacher of Performance Techniques, and regularly offers such classes free of charge to her students. She has also presented Master Classes to students at the Denver School of the Arts in Performance and Vocal Technique, and coached and staged singers in 3 programs of Scandinavian Songs performed at the yearly “ Scandinavian Ball” in Denver. She has served as adjudicator for vocal competitions, as vocal advisor to “The Spirituals Project Choir”, and also enjoys teaching classes in Vocal Technique to community choirs. Honors: Ethan Ayer Scholarship Competition Winner, New England Conservatory, Boston. Pi Kappa Lamda, National Music Honor Society. Semifinalist, Connecticut Young Artist Competition. Regional 1st. Place Winner, San Francisco Opera Auditions. Recommendation to the Merola Apprentice Program of the San Francisco Opera. District Finalist, Metropolitan National Council Auditions, Hawaii. 1st. Vice President Colorado/Wyoming NATS Nomination for Faculty of the Year Award, CCA First recipient of the Thomas Brosh Humanities Faculty Endowment Award, CCA
 
                                    “Cosi fan tutte”, Black Box Opera
Fiordiligi , Stacey Canterbury; Don Alfonso,  Peter Tuff; Dorabella, Jennifer De Domenici
Student Accomplishments Teaching Philosophy Student testimonials Student Performances Home