We are overjoyed to announce that Ms. Karin Foglesong is joining our faculty next year!
Karin Foglesong, Soprano, made her operatic debut as Fiordiligi with the National Opera Company’s production of
Così Fan Tutte
. Roles performed include: Alice Ford in
Falstaff
with the New York Verismo Opera Company, Rosalinda in
Die Fledermaus
with National Opera Company, Countess Almaviva in
The Marriage of Figaro
with Opera-To-Go (New England), Cendrillon in
Cendrillon
, Belinda in
Dido & Aeneas
, Corilla in
Viva La Mama
, Antigone in
Antigone
(World Premiere) with Alea III, Gloria in
Territories
(World Premiere) with New Opera Theatre Ensemble, Rose Maybud in
Ruddigore
with Boston Academy of Music Repertory Company, Princess Ida, (understudy) with New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, and Katisha in
The Mikado
. She also spent several years touring with several opera companies in school shows, performing operas for K-12 aged students, from the Mississippi to the eastern parts of the nation. She spent a year as soloist singing in a jazz club, and performing 365 days in musical theater reviews.
An accomplished singer and actress, Ms. Foglesong toured and performed with various professional singing groups and has performed as soloist with regional symphonies. Her awards include Regional Winner Metropolitan Opera Auditions in California, Regional Finalist in the Bel Canto Foundation National Auditions in Boston, winner of the National Endowment Fund for the Arts Scholarship, and the Director’s Award Recipient both at Boston University, where she received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance.
Ms. Foglesong's voice and theater students have gained admittance to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, perform with Goode Time Carolers (Disney), perform solo roles and professional chorus work with Arizona Opera, gained admittance to the American Singer’s Opera Project at the Wake Forest University, entered Shenandoah University Conservatory and Manhattan Marymount Theater College, have won the jazz
Idol in the Skye Vocal Competition
in Arizona, and perform with Phoenix Theater Company. She has also trained worship leaders and music educators in the greater Phoenix area. Karin's passion is seeing her students fulfill their vocal and dramatic potential.
Our students prepared a few questions for Ms. Foglesong:
How did you become interested in music and drama?
Music goes back a ways in my family. My great-grandfather was a composer and choir director who traveled the western states, giving choir workshops, in addition to keeping up with a farm in Canada. Music was also an integral part of my nuclear family. My mom and dad both played the piano for fun. Every morning, after breakfast, we all sang songs at the table, in four-part harmony. When I was little, my parents and I would sing trios in public. One day, when I was about seven, they got sick and I went on to sing my first solo. After that, I just continued on singing solos and it became normal.
As for drama, my Dad was a classical radio announcer and speech therapist, and he trained me how to speak. We would read the
Chronicles of Narnia
aloud, playing all the different parts. I never thought of this as acting, but Mr. Simokat, my 6th-grade teacher was casting for a play:
Sorry, Wrong Number
, by Lucille Fletcher. I auditioned, and was completely surprised to get the lead role! Playing this part was fun, because the character I played was alternatively pompous and condescending, yet had to scream with fear, afraid of a murderer. It was a pleasure playing a part with such emotional contradictions! I was hooked!
When did you decide to become a teacher and why?
I never thought of myself as a teacher. When I was taking sophomore-level voice lessons in college, I was shocked to find out that my voice teacher, Mr. Griessinger, wanted to send me beginner-level voice students that he could not take. I was a very shy person at that time and didn't know how I could possibly do it, but the minute I started to teach, I seemed to know just what to do and how to help. It was a relief to me to discover that teaching was not really about me, but about what the student needed. I surprised myself with a wealth of confidence in communicating, that I didn't know I possessed and found I deeply enjoyed helping others to discover their talents.
How do you best connect with students?
I try to take time to get to know students and how they view the world. I'm always happiest if students feel free to ask me questions because those questions create a great partnership between student and teacher--making us collaborators in the learning process. I'm a big believer in the idea that we all think in different ways, and that having multiple ways to communicate on the same subject can help a student come to understand.
What interests do you have that might support an extracurricular club?
I love choir and have been conducting choir and orchestra for the last six years. I would love to start a choir club on campus. Choir is such a great opportunity to bond together to enjoy great music, and to discover your voice in a non-threatening situation. Sometimes the friendships that you make in choir can last for a lifetime!
Welcome to North Phoenix Prep, Ms. Foglesong!
