Tracelyn Gesteland

Tracelyn Gesteland, mezzo-soprano, is Professor of Voice/Opera at the University of South Dakota, where she holds the Walter A. and Lucy Yoshioka Buhler Endowed Chair. Referred to by reviewers as "powerful" and "striking" (Great Britain's Organists' Review), “remarkable” and a “highlight of the evening,” (Sioux City Journal) and “an engaging and versatile singing actress” (Madison Isthmus), she is an active performer in recital, concert, and opera. As a recitalist, she has performed with distinguished collaborative pianists at SongFest and at multiple Song Collaborators Consortia Art Song Festivals, along with other festivals, concert series, and universities across 25 states and Canada. She has co-presented several lecture-recitals at academic conferences, most notably the International Congress of Voice Teachers (Vienna, Austria; Stockholm, Sweden; and Brisbane, Australia). Dr. Gesteland also frequently performs as part of the Gesteland-Smith Duo, championing works for voice and organ. Their CD of sacred classical works, Make a Joyful Noise, is available on Raven Recordings. Other credits include leading roles and concerts with the Houston Grand Opera, Atlantic Coast Opera, Stoughton Opera, Lone Star Lyric Theater Festival, Opera South Dakota, Elgin Opera, Light Opera Works, Music On Site, Center Light Theatre, l’opera piccola, Beverly Arts Center of Chicago, Ars Lyrica Houston, Moores Opera Center, Harrower Opera Workshop, Contemporary Opera Lab (Canada), National Opera Association (USA), South Dakota Symphony, Sioux City Symphony, Nachitoches-Northwestern Symphony, Sioux Falls Chamber Music Collective, Rawlins Piano Trio, and the Chicago Symphony Chorus under the batons of Barenboim, Mehta, Boulez, Penderecki and Wolff.