Virginia - Voice, Piano
Virginia is thrilled to join Forte Music School as a voice and piano instructor, bringing with her a wealth of experience as a teacher, performer, musical director, and composer. With a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of Southern California, a Master of Science in Teaching from California Baptist University, and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan, Virginia offers a rare blend of academic excellence and real-world performing arts experience.
As a classically trained lyric soprano, Virginia has performed leading roles with Lyric Opera of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera, El Dorado Opera, and Casa Italiana Opera Company—specializing in the works of Verdi. She’s equally at home on the musical theatre stage, where she has delighted audiences in roles such as the Mother Abbess (The Sound of Music), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), and Miss Andrew (Mary Poppins)—all known for their bold characters and vocal power.
During her two decades in Los Angeles, Virginia maintained a thriving private voice studio, teaching approximately 50 students weekly across two locations, while also directing musical theater and operatic productions at the college, community, and regional levels. Her musical direction has earned numerous honors, including five Goldie Awards, a Stacky Award, and a second-place finish for Musical Direction at the Broadway Musical Awards. Her production of The Magic Flute, featuring high school and college performers, was praised for its musicality and imaginative staging.
In addition to her stage work, Virginia spent several years as a post-production supervisor at Universal Studios, working on major film franchises including The Mummy, The Bourne Identity, American Pie, The Cat in the Hat, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Her scream even made it into the end credits of Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses—a story she loves to share with her students!
Virginia is also the award-nominated composer of Three Piggy Opera and Red Riding Hood, aka Secret of the Ninja, which were adapted into interactive iPad apps and reached #1 in international app charts. Her song “The Wolf is Bad” earned a nomination for Best Children’s Song by the Independent Music Awards, along with a personal shoutout from Ozzy Osbourne.
As a teacher, Virginia is passionate about helping each student find their voice—whether they are brand new to music or preparing for auditions and performances. She brings patience, creativity, and high standards to every lesson, and works with students of all ages to develop strong technique, musical confidence, and joy in making music.
Virginia holds both a California Single Subject Teaching Credential and a Michigan Teaching Certificate in K–12 Music. Her teaching expertise includes general music, vocal technique, choral conducting, music pedagogy, and musical theatre. She is passionate about fostering musical literacy, building strong technical foundations, and nurturing the expressive potential of every student. Now living in Michigan, she is excited to bring her multifaceted experience to students at all stages in their musical journey and to institutions committed to artistic excellence and creative growth.
As a classically trained lyric soprano, Virginia has performed leading roles with Lyric Opera of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera, El Dorado Opera, and Casa Italiana Opera Company—specializing in the works of Verdi. She’s equally at home on the musical theatre stage, where she has delighted audiences in roles such as the Mother Abbess (The Sound of Music), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), and Miss Andrew (Mary Poppins)—all known for their bold characters and vocal power.
During her two decades in Los Angeles, Virginia maintained a thriving private voice studio, teaching approximately 50 students weekly across two locations, while also directing musical theater and operatic productions at the college, community, and regional levels. Her musical direction has earned numerous honors, including five Goldie Awards, a Stacky Award, and a second-place finish for Musical Direction at the Broadway Musical Awards. Her production of The Magic Flute, featuring high school and college performers, was praised for its musicality and imaginative staging.
In addition to her stage work, Virginia spent several years as a post-production supervisor at Universal Studios, working on major film franchises including The Mummy, The Bourne Identity, American Pie, The Cat in the Hat, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Her scream even made it into the end credits of Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses—a story she loves to share with her students!
Virginia is also the award-nominated composer of Three Piggy Opera and Red Riding Hood, aka Secret of the Ninja, which were adapted into interactive iPad apps and reached #1 in international app charts. Her song “The Wolf is Bad” earned a nomination for Best Children’s Song by the Independent Music Awards, along with a personal shoutout from Ozzy Osbourne.
As a teacher, Virginia is passionate about helping each student find their voice—whether they are brand new to music or preparing for auditions and performances. She brings patience, creativity, and high standards to every lesson, and works with students of all ages to develop strong technique, musical confidence, and joy in making music.
Virginia holds both a California Single Subject Teaching Credential and a Michigan Teaching Certificate in K–12 Music. Her teaching expertise includes general music, vocal technique, choral conducting, music pedagogy, and musical theatre. She is passionate about fostering musical literacy, building strong technical foundations, and nurturing the expressive potential of every student. Now living in Michigan, she is excited to bring her multifaceted experience to students at all stages in their musical journey and to institutions committed to artistic excellence and creative growth.
