Teacher

Master teacher Caroline B. Smith retired July 2020 after a distinguished thirty-six year teaching career at DePauw University where she was awarded the 2020 Tucker Distinguished Teaching Award. Having recently moved to the Savannah, GA area, she maintains an active private voice studio (inclusive of different styles), teaching various levels of students. Because of the pandemic, she is teaching virtually and appreciates its advantage of being able to teach students throughout the country and abroad. Throughout her career she remained an active recitalist/soloist, master class clinician (11 Classical Singer National Conventions, IAA, NATS, Kentucky Governor's School, South Carolina Governor’s School, and throughout the United States) and adjudicator (Classical Singer Nationals/Regionals, NATS, American Traditions Vocal Competition Quarterfinals, MTNA, NSAL ISSMA, Prelude, Overture, etc.).

As one of twelve invited professors, she adjudicated and gave master classes at Beijing’s Conservatory for Classical Singer’s Inaugural International Vocal 2015 Competition/Master Class Series. Having performed on NPR and PBS with extensive operatic and chamber music experience, her highlighted recent performances include Corigliano’s Fern Hill, Libby Larsen’s Eleanor Roosevelt, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Chen Yi’s Meditation, George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children, Debussy's La Damoiselle Élue, Tania León's Oh Yemanja, Kapilow’s Green Eggs and Ham – a Midwest Première.

Her students have been successful in both classical and musical theatre performing careers. They have won many scholarships to major music schools such as Rice University, University of Maryland Opera Studio, New England Conservatory, Peabody Conservatory, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University Musical Theatre Program, Florida State University, Eastman School of Music, Boston University, Boston Conservatory, Cincinnati Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory, Southern Methodist University, University of Houston, Cleveland Institute of Music, Roosevelt, University of Michigan, Manhattan School of Music, Northwestern University, Mannes School of Music, Longy Conservatory of Music, New York University, Louisiana State University, Arizona State University, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, University of South Carolina, Michigan State University, University of Iowa, and Westminster Conservatory of Music, etc.

Ms. Smith’s students also consistently have won/placed in national competitions such as 2020 Opera Grand Rapids Collegiate Competition (National Winner); Hal Leonard Competition (National Winner); 2020 NATS (National Winner Classical Men, Upper College) (2nd Place in Nationals, MT College); MET Semifinals, Regional and District Auditions; SAS Classical Finalist; American Traditions Vocal Competition (Quarterfinalist); NOA (2nd Place National Collegiate Division, and Winning Opera and Musical Theatre Scenes performers); Orpheus Vocal Competition (Grand Prize Winner Young Artist, and Collegiate Finalists and Semifinalists); Classical Singer National Semifinalists and Finalists (Classical and Musical Theatre – various divisions); Broadway’s Next on Stage Collegiate Competition (Finalist); Charles A. Lynam National Competition (2nd Place, and Finalists); MTNA State, Regional and National; FAVA Grand Concours de France (Finalists); Dayton Opera Guild Opera Competition (2020 Winner, several Finalists); Harold Haugh National Competition (Finalists); NSAL (Winners and Finalists); George Shirley Competition (Winner and Finalists), and NATS State, Regional and National Auditions, etc.

Professor Smith served as the Great Lakes NATS Regional Governor for two terms after previously serving for two years as the District Governor (Indiana) and three years as the Indiana NATS President. In Spring 2007, she was the first vocal specialist appointed to the Editorial Board for the National MTNA Journal. For twenty years she also served as Director for Vocal Arts at DePauw, a high school summer camp for vocalists she founded, and the Vocal Area Coordinator at DePauw University throughout her tenure there. She has taught at Indiana University-Bloomington (Visiting Professor of Voice) and Wabash College where she began the first solo voice training program in the school’s history. Professor Smith served as the Cassel Grubb University Professor for five years following her award of the DePauw University Medora C. Adams Distinguished Professor for 2007-2009, which she assumed after the completion of the Martha C. Reith Fellowship that previously she had been awarded for 2004 –2007.

She received a Master of Music Degree in vocal/opera performance from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Music Degree in vocal performance from Converse College. Professor Smith’s major teachers have included Virginia MacWatters, Seth McCoy, Pauline Thesmacher and Jane Frazier Rolandi.

https://www.csmusic.net/content/articles/carolinesmith/