Christine Lehman
Voice and Piano
Studio
After 35 years of teaching primarily weekly lessons for long term study, my focus is changing. I am retiring from my full teaching practice, which means I will no longer offer recitals, adjudications, or competitions. Also, I will no longer offer ongoing weekly lessons to children and youth who, I believe, need consistent, regular attention to their musical development, long range planning, and wide ranging performance opportunities.
I am still available for short term projects, such as audition preparation, studying a specific piece, brushing up on sight-singing or theory, and Sing Your Story workshops. Also adults who want a longer term, but casual course of study may be accommodated.
About Chris and Students
As a soprano soloist, I have performed with the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, The Palomar Orchestra and Chorus, the Mendocino Music Festival, on several San Diego Concert Series, served as Staff Soprano for the La Jolla Symphony Chorus and the Congregational Church of La Jolla. As a recitalist, I have created original collaborative shows such as "Tales from a Psychiatrist's Couch", featuring an original dramatic and comedic story told through art songs and arias, and “Sing Your Story”, telling my own and others’ life stories through song and spoken word. “Sing Your Story” is also available in workshop form as a healing modality.
My voice teachers have been Ann Chase, Virginia Sublett, and Sarah Agler; vocal coach, Ines Irawati; and acting coach, Laura Bozanich.
Voice students have performed lead and supporting roles in community musical theatre productions, solos with La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, Orchestra Nova and others. Some have won and placed in regional competitions, including the Ben Vereen Musical Theatre Award, competing nationally in the Jimmy's (for high school musical theatre), and National Association of Teachers of Singing Competitions. Many have subsequently studied at leading universities in opera, musical theatre, screen acting, music composition, and music therapy, and built careers in these fields.
As a professional pianist, I have accompanied at Palomar College, San Diego North Coast Singers, Pacific Ridge School, Coast Kids Theatre, and several San Diego churches. My piano teachers have been Betty Snofke and Celeste Meister at Macalester College.
Many piano students have participated in the Royal Conservatory of Music adjudications, receiving honors up to Level 10.
Both piano and voice students have performed in bi-annual recitals. My studio has produced 125 of these! Some have had themes such as songs about food, with tastes of the various dishes served to the audience. Several students have performed full length solo recitals.
I studied music and psychology at Macalester College, received a Master of Social Work degree from Washington University, and a Kodaly Music Education Certification from Palomar College.
My work is to teach the whole person. As a student of human potential, including a background in clinical social work, I am able to nurture and support students’ personal growth, my primary goal.