Anna Patterson is a Lawrence local. After starting her musical studies on piano and french horn, she was quickly enthralled by the combination of words and music through song and theatre. Anna received a Master of Arts in Voice with Distinction from the Royal Academy of Music in London, England in 2023 on the Preparatory Opera course where she worked alongside the Royal Academy Opera Studio on scenes, programs, and repertoire with world-renowned coaches. While attending the Academy, Anna was a Josephine Baker Trust Artist, was featured on the Academy’s Transcending Borders concert series, performed for the Italian Cultural Institute, collaborated on new work in both the classical and musical theater realm, and explored several roles and repertoire on the Susie Sainsbury Stage.
Anna completed her undergraduate degree with Honors at the University of Kansas as a Choral Scholar for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. During this time, her love of new music and poetry was fostered by the composition department allowing her to pursue collaborative work with various chamber groups. Anna was involved in the New Music Guild, Helianthus Contemporary Ensemble, Opera Workshop, and the University of Kansas Opera. She also was selected as the alto soloist for a premiere of Richard Gilmore’s “Journey to Freedom” with the University of California – Irvine Symphony.
Anna has been a part of many collaborations over the past few years, most recently working with composer Geoffrey King on Songs from the reactor, exploring the human experience of grief using writer Nick Blackburn’s text. These pieces were originally recorded in the summer of 2023 and premiered during the Royal Academy of Music Student’s Create Festival. Anna also recently worked with composer Jonathan William Griffith III as a soloist on his award winning choral work Gospel Oak and collaborated with Jonty Lefroy Watt and Declan Hickey on a new cycle for Voice and Guitar with original poetry by Zadie Loft.
Anna is also passionate about contemporary theatre and opera and takes every opportunity to explore new stories on the dramatic stage. She has been praised for her “organic comedic timing” and “authenticity” on the stage in both the opera and musical theater world. Her recent operatic engagements include Périchole in La Périchole, Enfant in L’Enfant et les Sortileges, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Meg in Falstaff, Hansel in Hansel und Gretel, Romeo I Capuleti e I Montecchi, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, Paquette in Candide, Meg in Little Women, Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte, and the Announcer in Gallantry. Anna frequently participates in readings of new work for new operas in their early developmental stages.
Anna’s teaching philosophy revolves around supporting student’s individual interests and helping foster their voice in the musical world with a solid foundational technique. The purpose of lessons to her is to be a part of each student’s team and supply them with a toolkit to be able to create all the sounds they want in their artistic endeavors. With over two decades of piano experience, Anna incorporates piano and music theory skills into lessons to give young artists as many avenues for expression as possible. Artistically, Anna believes music’s true purpose is storytelling, friendship making, and community.
