Laurelie Gheesling
Accompanying
Laurelie Gheesling (Professional-in-Residence/ Accompanying). Laurelie Gheesling serves as accompanist in the voice, instrumental and choral areas in the School of Music. Her responsibilities include accompanying faculty, guest artist, and student recitals, masterclasses, studio classes and rehearsals. In addition, she is the musical director and pianist for the LSU Opera Louisiana Opera Outreach program (LOOP) which performs for area schools and in the community. This relatively new addition to LSU Opera has already reached over 2000 students in area schools. Offering a different program each semester, LOOP performances have included opera scenes and complete one-act operas performed and directed by graduate and undergraduate voice majors in the LSU School of Music. Since 1994, she has served as the accompanist for the Baton Rouge Symphony Chorus, currently conducted by Kenneth Fulton.
Ms. Gheesling also teaches classes in Alexander Technique and is certified by Alexander Technique International. She performed at the 7th International AT Congress in Oxford, England in 2004. In 2003, she was the recipient of the National Association of Teachers of Singing Southern Division James Ronald Brothers Achievement in Accompanying Award.
Ms. Gheesling served on the faculty as Staff Accompanist at the University of New Orleans and has performed frequently in New Orleans as a recitalist at Loyola and Tulane Universities.
Other New Orleans activities include regular performances with the Tulane Summer Lyric Theater, concerts with the Louisiana Vocal Arts Chorale (LAVAC), and she was a featured performer in the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation's documentary Musik am Mississippi. She has played in the orchestra at the Saenger Theater for numerous Broadway touring shows.
A native of Atlanta, GA, Ms. Gheesling holds the Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Mercer University in Atlanta and the Master of Music degree in Accompanying from Florida State University. Opera and musical theater credits include work with the Atlanta Repertory Opera, Savoyards Light Opera, the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, Vineyards Opera, Asbury Music Theater, the Florida State Opera, South Georgia Opera, and Seaside Music Theater.
Laurelie Gheesling, Professional-in-Residence
School of Music
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-2504
Voice: 225/578-7092
Fax: 225/578-2562
E-mail:gheesling@lsu.edu
