Marisa Gaetanne
B. ARTS Music & Italian, M. MUS Voice Performance (UBC)
Marisa Gaetanne’s “beautiful lyric coloratura voice” and vivacious personality have shaped her career to include an artistic blend of solo appearances, chamber music, teaching and choral conducting. Marisa has conducted for the Vancouver Bach Children’s Chorus since 1989 and has been Music Director of the organization since 2009. Marisa has also been a member of the Voice Faculty at the UBC School of Music since 1989 and at Vancouver Community College 2001-2011.Marisa’s ancestry is Scottish, Welsh and English. Her father, Glenn Spencer, taught Chemistry at Stanford University and played jazz piano in the Bay area. He also started the first journal for electronic music: Musig. His parents ran a large banjo band in San Fransisco, where ‘Grandma Ethel’ sang nightly with her clear, high soprano voice with Great-gran ‘Aitchie’ at the piano. With degrees in music, math and psychology Marisa’s mother Valerie Gaetanne has been an integral part of Marisa’s home and work life from helping with the care of her children to assisting with peak performance coaching for Marisa’s students.
Lyric Coloratura Soprano
Ms. Gaetanne has sung in opera, oratorio and recital in Europe, Canada and the U.S. and in major works with the VSO, VNM, VSEM, VBC and CBC radio in acclaimed performances of varied styles from Bach and Mozart to Gershwin and Schafer :
“A remarkable voice…fresh-hued, highly expressive…spellbinding, ethereal, breathtaking..”
Academic & Music Studies
With a background in French studies (Montreal), Italian language and literature (Florence) and voice studies in New York (Marianne Weltmann, Daniel Ferro), London (Vera Rozsa, Paul Hamburger) and Italy (Tito Gobbi), Marisa also studied at the V.C.C. School of Music (Jacob Hamm) and subsequently sang for 2 seasons (the youngest ever member) with the Vancouver Chamber Choir, one of her happiest musical memories. A piano student of Joyce Maguire (co-founder of the VBCC, pianist for the VBC for 40 years and president of the BC Choral Federation for 20 years), Marisa sang with the Vancouver Bach Choir during her high school years and studied voice with her first teacher, Jeanette O’Brien.
In 1985 she obtained her M.Music degree at U.B.C in Voice Performance studying with Alexandra Browning-Moore. (Her B.A was in Music and Italian). Marisa continued her vocal studies for several years, living in New York, Italy, London and studying Early Childhood Music Education and Kodaly Pedagogy at York University in Toronto and at the Royal Conservatory of Music under Donna Wood. Her Music for Young Children classes at the Dunbar Community Centre in the early nineties incorporated Kodaly, Orff and Dalcroze methodologies. Marisa has received many awards for her singing; Metropolitan Opera Auditions Northwest, Eckhardt-Grammattee Competition for the Performance of Canadian Music, Healey Willan Award for outstanding service to the BC Choral Federation. In 1986 she received a Canada Council Grant for voice study abroad.
Teaching Voice
Ms. Gaetanne is a highly respected voice teacher, known for her technical acumen, attention to detail in both style and language and for her ability to motivate and encourage her students. She has been a member of the voice faculty at the UBC School of Music since 1989 and at the VCC School of Music, 2001-2011.
Her former students are singing professionally in the US, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Australia and England as well as with the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Musica Intima, Elora Festival Singers and Vancouver Opera to name a few. Students of Ms. Gaetanne have repeatedly won top National Awards in RCM Exams and have achieved medal standing at the Provincial Kiwanis Festival.
Marisa is a member of the Royal Conservatory of Music College of Examiners.
Marisa is also founder and director, since 1990, of the popular summer camp for kids, ‘ChoralStage!’. Former students and attendees now assist her with this unique program, which is administered through the BC Choral Federation.
Music Director & Conductor: Vancouver Bach Children’s Chorus
Now enjoying her tenth season as Music Director of the Vancouver Bach Children’s Chorus family of choirs and with over 20 years of experience working with the younger levels, Ms. Gaetanne is committed to bringing the discipline, art and joy of singing and musicianship to the children she works with. With a Master’s degree in Voice from UBC (where she has been on faculty in Voice and Opera since 1989), pedagogical studies in Orff, Kodaly and Early Childhood Music Education from the RCM and from York University, Toronto and private study in England, Italy and the US, ‘Ms. G’ loves to craft curriculum that furthers the musical and vocal development of these fine young singers. She also works to foster the personal and social growth of her students by creating a rehearsal atmosphere that promotes self-esteem, discipline, and a sense of accomplishment and pride. She is known throughout the community for her enlightened enthusiasm in her work with children and her love for both the music and the children is infectious.
Marisa now works directly with the Toccata, Chorale and Chorus levels: the Piccolo choirs are led by Catherine Campolin. Shane Raman conducts the Youth & Alumni Choirs.
Professional Development
| Year | Place | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Portland | Intensive Workshop with Richard Miller |
| 2005 | Vancouver | International Congress of Voice Teachers |
| 2008 | Nashville | NATS Conference: Dr. Robert Sataloff / Dawn Upshaw / Sherill Milnes / Shirlee Emmons Scott McCoy / Lenore Rosenberg (Met Opera) / ‘Body Mapping’ |
| 2008 | Los Angeles | NATS Winter Workshop: From Studio to Stage: Yoga & Singing Dr. Judith E Carman ‘Opera Improv’ : Anne Baltz / ‘Song repertoire & Style’ Carol Kimball ‘Expressive Conducting for Expressive Singing’ David Aks |
| 2013 | San Antonio | NATS ‘Body Mind Spirit’ Workshop: Peak Performance for Singers, Dr. Diana Allan Dalcroze Eurythmics & Ear Training, David Frego ‘Tai Chi Performers Way’ : Dr. W. McCrary ’Psycho-Physical Movement Techniques for Singers : Chuck Hudson |
| 2013 | Vancouver | Centrepoint Yoga Therapy, Leila Stuart RMT : ‘The Psoas: Accessing Inner Power’ |
| 2013 | Portland | Oregon Bach Festival Conducting Workshops : Dr Sharon Paul, Anton Armstrong, Therees Tkach Hibbard ‘Building Body Voices’ |
| 2013 | Spokane | NATS Workshop on Young Voices: ‘Finding the Adolescent Voice’ Patrick Freer ‘Developing Lower Register in Children’ Barbara Arboleda |
| 2013 | Seattle | Dalcroze Society of America Summer Intensive: Eurythmics, Solfege and Improv |
| 2015 | Annecy France | Intensive CoreSinging Certificate with Maribeth Dayme-Bunch |
| 2016 | Indianapolis | ‘Creating Artistry’ Conducting Workshop Henry Leck: The Boys Expanding Voice |
| 2019 | L.A. | Voice Masterclass V : Professional Voice Care : Dr. Reena Gupta, Laryngologist & Contemporary Voice Specialists |
| 2019 | L.A. | Consult with VoiceScienceWorks.org creators, Laurel Irene and David Harris |
| 2019 | Minnesota | NATS Summer Workshop in Lyric Diction Cherri Montgomery: ‘Teaching Diction in Studio & at University’ Amanda Johnson: Canadian Pianist & Diction Expert Anne Hersey: Scandinavian Repertoire |
| 2019 | Vancouver | NATS Regional Workshop: S Rebeqq Rivers: Communication Skills Nancy Bos: Singing through Change: Serving Women in Midlife and Beyond Sherri Zelazny: Making Friends with an SLP Dr. Brian Horne: Formants for Dummies Catherine Laub: Recalling Schubert’s Wintereise: Bernhard Graf von Schwerin’s Wanderlieder NATSAA Regional Auditions and Finals |
| 2020 | NYC | NATS WINTER Workshop, NYC: Metropolitan Opera Staff: The Self Assured Singer: Preparation for Success Margo Garrett: French Melodie & German Lied Dr Claudia Friedlander: Anatomy in Action: Meeting the Demands of Opera Staging Brook Lieb: Alexander Technique for Managing Performance Anxiety Michael Cassara: Cultural Literacy for the Music Theatre Performer Dr. Sean McArthur: Consent & Creating Safe Theatrical Space NATS Artist Award FINALS NATS Music Theatre Award FINALS |