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". Most recently, she played Zweite Dame in "Die Zauberfloete" with the Sounds of South Dakota and the South Dakota Symphony starring Samuel Ramey. On the concert stage, she has sung most recently as the Mezzo Soloist in the Sioux City Symphony's "Christmas Spectacular" and Mezzo Soloist in "Messiah" with the South Dakota Symphony. She has also appeared with the South Dakota Symphony performing Rosina's arias and duets from "Il Barbiere di Siviglia". 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 world 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. Upcoming recitals are scheduled at the University of Manitoba in Canada, Rollins College in Florida, and at the International Congress of Voice Teachers convention in Brisbane, Australia. 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 Hawaii International Conference on Education, the National Opera Association’s national convention, regional College Music Society conferences, the South Dakota Music Teachers Association, the South Dakota chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, and the University of South Dakota’s Choral Director’s Institute. 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

• Teaching Improvement Grant, Center for Teaching and Learning, (2013)
• , 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 2012-13 Belbas-Larson Excellence in Teaching Award, USD, 2013
• 3rd Prize- Opera Production Competition (Stage and Music Director), National Opera Association, 2012
• 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