The University of South Dakota

Dr. Tracelyn Gesteland, mezzo-soprano, is an active performer on the opera, concert and recital stage. An "engaging and versatile singing actress," she enjoys interpreting standard repertoire in addition to championing contemporary music. On the operatic stage, Dr. Gesteland has created several roles in world premiere productions including the title role in Strega Nona with Houston Grand Opera, the Nurse in Diagnosis: Diabetes and the Haunted Woman in Walking on Air with the Contemporary Opera Lab of Winnipeg, Canada, and Hortence in Die Operette mit Schlag with the Lone Star Lyric Theatre. She has also performed many major standard roles including Meg in Little Women, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi (Stoughton Opera); Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana, La Mère d'Antonia in Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Atlantic Coast Opera); Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, the title role in Carmen (Vocal Arts Group of Chicago); Mother in Hansel and Gretel, Joanne in I Can't Stand Wagner (Sounds of South Dakota Opera); Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors (Houston Opera Project); Aréthuze in La Descente d'Orphée aux Enfers (Ars Lyrica Houston); Ramiro in La Finta Giardiniera, Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Princess Linetta in The Love for Three Oranges (Moores Opera Center). Favorite musical theatre roles include Lily in The Secret Garden, Julie Jordan in Carousel, and Marian in The Music Man. On the concert stage, she has appeared most recently with the South Dakota Symphony performing Rosina's arias and duets from Il Barbiere di Siviglia and as the mezzo soloist in Handel’s Messiah. Other recent concert performances include featured appearances with the Nachitoches-Northwestern Symphony, Elgin Opera, Harrower Opera, Lone Star Lyric Theater Festival, Singers Consortia Art Song Festival, Rawlins Piano Trio, and National Opera Association (U.S.A.). She has also performed as a professional chorister in the Chicago Symphony Chorus under the batons of Barenboim, Mehta, Boulez, Penderecki, and Wolff. Her sacred concert repertoire includes the mezzo and alto solos in Mozart's Requiem and Mass in C Minor, Handel's Messiah and Israel in Egypt, Vivaldi's Gloria, and Rutter's Magnificat. An avid recitalist, Dr. Gesteland frequently performs across the U.S.A. by invitation, most recently at the historic Lambs' Club in New York City, as part of the Music at St. Paul's concert series in Englewood, New Jersey, and at the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota. She has also recently given recitals and master classes in Chicago and New Orleans as well as venues in Ohio, Kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Dr. Gesteland currently serves on the music faculty of the University of South Dakota, the state's flagship university. She instructs Applied Voice for graduate and undergraduate students, Vocal Pedagogy, Song Literature, and Diction and directs the USD Opera. She co-founded and directs the South Dakota Vocal Arts Festival and serves as the President for the South Dakota chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). She has given scholarly presentations for several organizations including the National Opera Association’s national convention in 2011, regional College Music Society conferences in 2010 and 2011, the South Dakota Music Teachers Association in 2011, and the University of South Dakota’s Choral Director’s Institute in 2009, 2010 and 2011. She holds voice performance degrees from the University of Houston's Moores School of Music (D.M.A.), Roosevelt University (M.M.), and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (B.M.).

Applied Voice, Opera, Vocal Pedagogy, Lyric Diction, Song Literature

Opera, Vocal Pedagogy and Voice Science, Vocal Literature

• DMA-- Doctor of Musical Arts, Vocal Performance, University of Houston, 2007
• MM-- Master of Music, Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy, Roosevelt University, 1999
• BM-- Bachelor of Music, Choral and General Music Education, University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point, 1994

• , College of Fine Arts Dean's Office, (2011 - 2011)
• Dueling Divas, College of Fine Arts Dean's Office, (2010)
• Linton Fund Guest Artist Award, The University of Mississippi, (2010)

• Nominated for the 2011-12 Belbas-Larson Excellence in Teaching Award, USD, 2012
• Nominated for the 2010-11 Belbas-Larson Excellence in Teaching Award , USD, 2011
• Nominated for the 2009-10 Belbas-Larson Excellence in Teaching Award , USD, 2010
• Stage Directing Internship, Harrower Opera Workshop, Atlanta, GA, 2009
• Moores School of Music Vocal Fellowship, University of Houston, 2004
• Scholarship, Houston Music Teacher's Association, 2004
• Honorable Mention, National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition-- Illinois Region, 2000