Dr. Courtney Sherman
Sanctuary Choir Director
Dr. Courtney Sherman, soprano, is a native of Ludington, Michigan. She began her undergraduate work at Michigan State University in choral music education, and received a bachelor's degree in voice performance from Western Michigan University. She holds a master's degree in opera/music theater performance and a doctorate in voice performance from Arizona State University. Her doctoral research paper on Ellwood Derr’s I Never Saw Another Butterfly sparked an interest in continuing research and performance of vocal chamber music.
Dr. Sherman’s teachers include Dr. Jerry Doan, Meredith Zara, Linda Trotter-Heger, and Marie Valade. Her role credits include Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos, as well as many opera scenes performances, including several from Strauss and Mozart.
Prior to accepting her position at the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay, Dr. Sherman taught applied voice, aural skills, and opera workshop at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. While living in Arizona, she maintained a private voice studio, and was an active performer at ASU and in the Phoenix area. In addition to her own solo recital programs, she has had the opportunity to collaborate with many colleagues on a variety of recitals, singing a wide range of art song repertoire including Frauenliebe und –leben, and Gedichte der Königin Maria Stuart by Schumann, Eve Song by Jake Heggie, Poèmes pour Mi, by Messiaen, Songs About Spring by Argento, and selections from Italienisches Liederbuch by Wolf. Having become a favorite for her interpretations of new music, Dr. Sherman has performed the works of several of her colleagues who are pursuing careers in composition, and hopes to continue her advocacy for new music at UWGB. Upcoming performances include the soprano solos in Handel’s Messiah (December 6, Weidner Center), a solo faculty recital at UWGB (Spring 2010), as well as performances of Hindemith’s Das Marienleben and Messiaen’s Poèmes pour Mi in Orange County, California (Spring 2010).
As a long-time lover of church choirs, Courtney has participated in church choirs in some capacity since junior high school. Before leaving the Phoenix area, she directed the children’s chorus and served as the soprano section leader and soloist at Trinity Cathedral. In Oklahoma, she served as a volunteer in the soprano section at the First United Methodist Church in Tahlequah. Courtney is delighted to bring her love of church choirs to FUMC Green Bay, and she looks forward to contributing to the 9:15 service each week!