From a very young age, it was clear that Ms. Taft would have a future on stage – her parents often tell stories about how at age 3, she would don an apron and a British accent and pretend to be Mary Poppins around the house, or how she would sing to herself while playing goalie in her childhood soccer matches. After her first role as a singing Tree in her third-grade musical, she was hooked.  Her love of song and the stage inspired roles in productions with Wayzata High School Theatre and Blue Water Theatre Company. It led her to Appleton, Wisconsin to receive a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Dr. Karen Leigh-Post, and to Dublin, Ireland, to study Irish theatre at the Gaiety School of Acting. During her post-Bachelor’s residency in Minneapolis, she was fortunate to perform with Artistry MN, Lakeshore Players Theatre, and the Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, and to study with mezzo-soprano Victoria Vargas.  Ms. Taft recently received her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance & Literature from the University of Illinois, where she studied with Dawn Harris and Sarah Wigley. While pursuing this degree amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Taft discovered and cultivated a love for contemporary opera and art song. During her tenure in Champaign-Urbana, she premiered the role of Mem in Paola Prestini and Brenda Shaughnessy’s Sensorium Ex and was the third soprano ever to sing the role of Tink Enraught in Peter Hilliard & Matt Boresi’s The Last American Hammer. Her degree recital, titled “Who Is She, Then? An exploration and interpretation of the female experience through poignant works of contemporary woman artists” showcased the brilliant and seldom-performed work of four women: American composer Libby Larsen, French composer Mélanie Bonis, Irish composer Linda Buckley, and Japanese-Canadian composer Leslie Uyeda.  Ms. Taft is also very passionate about sharing her love of music through education, and she is an active voice and piano instructor as well as theatrical vocal director. She teaches private voice and piano lessons and was the senior voice instructor at the Minnesota School of Music in Circle Pines, MN from 2018-2019. In 2017, she made her directorial debut as the music director for The Wizard of Oz: Young Performer’s Edition with Blue Water Theatre Company. She currently teaches voice at the University of Illinois through Unit One/Allen Hall. She is an ardent advocate for healthy, uninhibited vocal production specific to each voice and body. Her teaching philosophy is founded on cross-training the entirety of the voice utilizing a variety of production styles, and she believes in the function of the entire human body as the vocal instrument. Ms. Taft strives to create an environment in which all students are empowered to take risks, surmount challenges, celebrate victories, and discover the importance of their individual, authentic voices. She is experienced in teaching all types of repertoire, from classical to contemporary, and establishes unique, genuine relationships with every single student she works with.  Ms. Taft currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. When she is not performing or teaching, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, practicing hot yoga, and reading historical fiction novels.