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LR alumna uses her voice to fulfill her passion

Alexandria McNeely, 2019 Lenoir-Rhyne alumna and music enthusiast, demonstrated her singing talents at a voice master class hosted at Grace Chapel Friday, Feb. 4. The master class was held in collaboration with the Western Piedmont Symphony and renowned baritone, Sidney Outlaw.

McNeely started singing when she was 3 years old. As her love for vocal performance grew, she later decided to join the Lenoir-Rhyne youth chorus. This decision started her pathway to a career in vocal performance.

“Whenever I was a senior in high school, we [LR youth chorus] took a trip to Europe,” McNeely said. “We went on a tour to Germany and Austria, and I got to sing my first classical duet. That was my first experience singing a classical solo. When we were on our way back home from Germany, my choir director told me, ‘You should take voice lessons; I think you have a wonderful voice.’ So, I started taking lessons my senior year of high school.”

As McNeely continued her voice training, she was encouraged by Judith Burbank, assistant professor of music at LR, to explore LR’s vocal performance and sacred music program. McNeely then realized she was meant to be a part of the Bear family.

During her junior year at LR, McNeely traveled to Italy and studied under international opera instructors and performers through the Si Parla, Si Canta program. The program was directed by Benton Hess, an opera conductor from Rochester, New York. It was also affiliated with the Eastman School of Music, where McNeely later earned her master’s degree in vocal performance and literature.

McNeely is grateful for the opportunities she received at LR. She encourages anyone interested in singing professionally to be tenacious and to embrace every opportunity available.

“To succeed, you have to love it,” McNeely said. “But if you love it, the benefits that you get from doing something you love so much is like nothing else. LR’s program is one of the most supportive environments you can be in when you’re a beginning singer. It’s an amazing program, and I wouldn’t have been able to do the things that I have if it weren’t for LR.”

McNeely plans to continue her vocal education by enrolling in an artist diploma program and hopes to become a professional opera singer.