Dr. Carolina Botero
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Carolina studied piano and voice for over a decade and performed on numerous occasions for Amira De La Rosa Opera house in Barranquilla. She completed her undergraduate studies at Catholic University in Washington DC, her Master’s in Vocal Performance at University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance at University of Washington.
Her performance repertoire from operas includes, La Calisto, Orphée et Eurydice, La Périchole, Dialogues of the Carmelites, L’Elisir d’amore, Die Zauberflöte, Don Pasquale, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Fledermaus, Cosí fan tutte, Der Freischütz. Her performance repertoire from musicals includes, She Loves Me, Fiorello! and West Side Story.
She has performed in Seattle, Tacoma, Washington DC, New York City and Houston. Additionally, while living in Houston, she performed for the Houston Grand Opera for several seasons. As a vocal performer she has received rave reviews from El Heraldo (Colombia), The Washington Post (DC), The Times Herald (NY), The Houston Chronicle and El Rumbo (TX). Carolina is an active performer in the operatic repertoire as well as the Spanish and Latin American repertoire.
She has performed for the Isla Foundation, Latino Chamber Music Festival and University Washington in Seattle, showcasing songs from diverse Spanish and Latin American composers. Carolina is multilingual speaking fluently in Italian, Spanish and English. Carolina has a passion for teaching and loves to work with students of all ages.
Statement of Teaching Philosophy
The process of learning to “sing” (or more appropriate, studying “Voice”) is a transformative art, that requires considerable dedication to personal and vocal development, and is much more complex, and rewarding, than simply learning to sing. This process requires a commitment of enough time and perseverance to achieve the greatest level of mastery possible for a student. As a student reaches higher levels of mastery, which of course is different for every student, a deeper knowledge continues and the capacity for growth is boundless. My main purpose as a Professor of Voice is to emphasize the essential daily engagement and practice necessary to support the creative process of singing. This is key to building trust and communication with students so they can discover their ‘voice’ and therefore learn to support the natural development of their instrument. This process of communication is an essential component in becoming a successful singer. Experiencing the proper process of singing and vocal pedagogy (anatomy, physiology and acoustics), is essential for a student’s understanding of effective methodology. As a student’s technique strengthens, my role is to guide them in finding their own individuality in their instrument and master artistry in their music.
In addition to the technical aspects of teaching singing (“Voice”), teaching students from diverse and educational backgrounds brings an opportunity to use cultural differences and combine new concepts to enrich a student’s learning experience. It brings great satisfaction when I witness student’s progress in their work. It is also very exciting seeing student’s inspiration and growth through their singing. In my classroom, I aim to evoke the same excitement and discovery that the art of singing has inspired me.
As a teacher, and more importantly at the university level in a role of a Professor of Voice, my purpose is to inspire knowledge and learning. I have the unique ability to communicate effectively my knowledge of singing and vocal technique to my students. I understand the process of vocal development and musicality that it takes in becoming a professional singer. I have worked very hard as a professional singer, educator and continue to further my education. I believe it is necessary for the benefit of my students learning, that I continue to further my studies. Therefore, I look for every opportunity of research, continue to advance my education, enhance my ability as a singer with organizations such as National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), The College Music Society and The Voice Foundation.