Hi! My name is Elizabeth, but everyone calls me Cara. I am a graduate of Peabody Conservatory and Johns Hopkins University, where I earned a B.Mus. in Vocal Performance and a B.A. in Latin American Studies simultaneously. At Peabody, I studied with Marianna Busching and coached with John Shirley-Quirk and Ernest Ligon. Today, I continue to pursue my education through private vocal study with Medea Namoradze and workshops including Bel Canto in Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast Music Festival, the American University Opera Workshop, and the Potomac Vocal Institute.

My teaching experience includes nearly ten years of offering private voice lessons. In the fall of 2014, I became the voice instructor at Loyola Blakefield in Towson, MD, and I have recently become a full member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. My studio includes male and female students of all abilities ages ten and up: from beginners, to hobbyists, to professionals. I have trained singers in both classical and music theater styles for auditions for and performances in honors and regional choruses and paid chorales; school, community, and professional theater; and admission into college and university music programs.

My approach to teaching vocal technique is highly individualized. I am committed to the concept of “maximum natural,” and I strive to combine technical knowledge with visual imagery in a language that guides students to sing freely and efficiently in their own unique voices. Our journey as teacher and student will begin with the technical fundamentals – posture and breathing – and proceed along a personalized plan to capitalize on the student’s strengths, improve areas of weakness, and meet short- and long-term goals. I work collaboratively with students to develop practice plans to guide them through the week between lessons and to choose repertoire and performance opportunities that are appropriate for their development.

I offer lessons either in my home studio in Gaithersburg, my Bethesda studio, or in the student’s ho