JoAnne Stephenson D.M.A. Soprano, Associate Professor of Voice Phone: 407-823-2866 Office: Colbourn Hall 108 Email: jstephen@mail.ucf.edu Download: Resumé

Hear selections from JoAnne Stephenson:

	"Watch and Pray", by Undine Smith Moore
	"En Priere", by Gabriel Fauré
	"Schmerzen", from The Wesendonck Lieder by Richard Wagner

JoAnne Stephenson is an active performer, lecturer, and adjudicator. In 2008, Dr. Stephenson performed in the "Symphony Under the Stars" concert where she sang "Isolde's Liebestod." She was also one of the singers at Michael Buble's UCF debut performance.

Performances abroad include a tour to Leipzig, Prague, Vienna and Melk, where she sang the Mezzo Soprano solos in the J.S. Bach, "Magnifcate", and the W.A. Mozart, "Mass in c Minor" with the Bach Society of Winter Park. Other European engagements include four solo recitals, two of which were sung at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England, and two at the University of London. Additional European performances include solo recitals and performances in Paris, France, Ragusa, Italy and Vevey, Switzerland.

United States performances include two tours as Principal Soprano Soloist with the Cornerstone Chorale and Brass. The chorale traveled to a total of 62 cities in the western, midwestern and northeastern sections of the United States and parts of Canada. Ms. Stephenson was invited to perform new compositions at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. This Inside Out performance was dubbed as one of the most successful in their history. She was the alto solos and a soprano solos for several performances of G.F. Handel's "Messiah", including the 1998 Messiah Society's annual performance at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center. Dr. Stephenson performed with the Vero Beach Choral Society in a staged production of the Laud to the Nativity, where her performance of "Mary" received a standing ovation. She has appeared on several artist series including performances at The Villages, in the Church on the Square, Lady Lake Florida; Bach's Lunch, Orlando Florida, the Ninth Annual African American Artist Series in West Palm Beach and the 1996 Artist Series in Tampa Florida. Additionally, she has made several guest appearances at the First Presbyterian Church in Orlando on their Christmas and Easter programs. Concert versions of operatic performances include "Hansel and Gretel", in Gainesville, Florida where she sang the role of the "Mother". Additional operatic performances include the role of the "Mother" in Amahl and the Night Visitors, the "Mother" in Scott Joplin's Treemonishia, the "Countess" in Le Nozze di Figaro, and "Fiordiligi", in Cosi Fan Tutti.

Dr. Stephenson has presented several lecture/recitals around the United States. One lecture of note was her presentation in conjunction with a grant for the National Endowment for the Humanities where she lectured on "An Interdisciplinary Approach to Music by African Americans". Other lecture recitals include her research on Florence Price where two presentations were given for the College Music Society's National meetings in San Juan Puerto Rico, in and Portland Oregon. Additional presentations include lecture recitals at Hampton University, University of Dayton, and Agnes Scott College where her presentation was recorded and aired on Atlanta's classical station, WABE.

As an adjudicator, Dr. Stephenson has judged several high school competitions in the state of Florida for the Florida Vocal Association, the Negro Spiritual Scholarship Foundation, the National Association Teachers of Singing, and the Community College Symposiums in the state of Florida.

As the former director of the University of Central Florida's Gospel choir, Dr. Stephenson has had the opportunity to direct the choir in several venues, including Bethune Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Florida, Trinity Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Miami, Florida, and the Central Florida Community College, in Ocala Florida. Under her direction, the Gospel choir had the honor of being asked to perform before the Board of Regents for the universities in the Florida State system. Dr. Stephenson also directed a local Methodist Church choir for about two years.

Dr. Stephenson is currently the Director of African American Studies for the College of Arts in Sciences at the University of Central Florida. Under her direction, the program has instituted the James Weldon Johnson Lecture Series, the Black Atlantic Film Festival and "Hopet!" the bi-annual newsletter. This program also hosts the Dr. John T. Washington Community Award and Service Luncheon.