Elizabeth Niemeier

Elizabeth began taking voice lessons from Solange in 2004 and became involved with Elgin Opera shortly after that. Completely new to opera, Elizabeth was excited to try something new. She expresses her gratefulness to Elgin Opera when she states, "Elgin Opera was invaluable to me because it gave me my first opera production experience. It is an environment truly unlike any other." Elgin Opera taught Elizabeth the basics of opera performance through showing her how to sing in an opera chorus ensemble, act, remember blocking, and take mental notes given by the director.

Elizabeth graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor's of Music Education from Simpson College in Iowa. Keeping her skills sharp, Elizabeth performed in the chorus of Il Campanello, Le Nozze di Figaro, and The Mikado at Simpson and also as Laetitia in The Old Man and the Thief and Despina in Così fan tutte as part of Simpson’s opera workshop. She also sang in Simpson’s Women’s Chorale and Chamber Choir and performed hour-long recitals her junior and senior year.

Currently, Elizabeth is working in her hometown of Elgin as the Executive Director of the Elgin Master Chorale. Hired in 2012 as the Institutional Advancement Manger for the organization, Elizabeth's responsibilities grew until she was asked to assume the position of Executive Director in May 2015. Elizabeth has a passion for the arts in Elgin. "This is truly a unique, wonderful place for the arts to grow and thrive, with the renowned Elgin Symphony, children's theatre and music opportunities, and vocal ensembles like Soiree Lyrique, Heartland Voices, and the Elgin Master Chorale. My love for the arts in Elgin started with my high school participation in Elgin Opera, and has continued to grow through the years."