This week we welcome new faculty member, Laura Alexander, an alumna of the department. Mrs. Alexander joins the faculty this fall as the new Director of
the Women’s Glee Club.
“We are thrilled to have Laura Alexander joining our choral faculty this fall. She is a smart and talented musician with a warm, winning personality. I am confident that our students will be inspired by her.” -Director of Choral Activities, Professor Susan Klebanow
Laura Buff Alexander received her M.M. in Voice Performance from UNC Greensboro, where she studied with Clara O’Brien. In her undergraduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, she received a B.M. in Vocal Performance and a B.A. in Romance Languages (Italian). She is currently pursuing a Master of Theological Studies at Duke Divinity School, focusing on the intersection of theology and the arts.
Alexander currently serves as Cantor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill, where she coordinates the musical life of the congregation. This role includes directing choirs and other ensembles for children, youth, college students, and adults, as well as leading services on organ and piano. She also teaches voice and piano privately. Alexander has also served on the faculty of Spoleto Study Abroad in Spoleto, Italy.
In addition to her work as a conductor, Alexander continues to perform in recital and concert settings. Recent solo engagements include Vaughn Williams’ Serenade to Music, Handel’s Messiah, Copland’s In the Beginning, and Mozart’s Missa Brevis in F Major. Operatic roles include Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito, Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte, Aunt Lou in Highway #1, USA, and Hansel in an abridged production of Hansel and Gretel.
“It is an incredible honor to return to my alma mater to conduct the Women’s Glee Club and to work alongside Dan Huff and Susan Klebanow, both of whom are conductors I have long admired. I have been directing the choirs at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill for the past four years, and I am looking forward to the new challenges that conducting at the university level will bring. I am excited by the enthusiasm for Women’s Glee that I can already sense from this wonderful group of kind, intelligent, and talented women, and I hope to help them further develop their love for music.” -Laura Alexander