Alumni Spotlight

"I was always loud — especially in choir," is how Rachele Schmiege, explains what lured her to an extra-curricular activity that turned into a career.

Others might argue that brains and ambition have helped lead Rachele, a rising star in the world of Opera, to her current success. She insists that it may just be genetic, since "Opera singers, by their nature, have to be [loud]...I guess this was one aspect of singing that I was born with." There may be some truth to what she says, but Rachele also admits to having a singular drive to achieve.

A 2000 Vicksburg graduate, Rachele says her school days were mostly spent trying to get through the ups and downs of high school and that activities like music, track, going to sporting events, and supporting her friends in cheer leading were just the glue that held things together.

She played the oboe in band, sang with the choir and "Common Ground" (at that time, Common Ground was a jazz and show choir ensemble), and was a member of the BIG RED MACHINE – VHS Marching Band.

An appreciation for music runs in Rachele's family. Her brother Chris, a '98 grad, and sisters Elizabeth (2002) and Diane (2004) were members of the VHS Marching Band and Symphonic Bands.

In addition to attending Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp each summer, Rachele took private voice lessons from Brian Clissold, director of the Battle Creek Children's Choir and the Battle Creek Community Chorus. It was during her senior year at VHS that Brian was preparing the Community Chorus for a production of La Boheme and asked Rachele if she would be interested in a spot in the chorus. Up until this time, Rachele had performed in musicals and different choruses but the idea of being in an opera seemed beyond cool—so she jumped at the chance. The music, lyrical story telling and costumes hooked her and as they say "the rest is history."

While still a student at VHS, Rachele toured with the Kalamazoo Symphony Chorus singing Beethoven's 9th Mass in a joint U.S./Japanese production at Carnegie Hall. She also toured Italy, France, Austria, Denmark and Germany.

Since graduating from Vicksburg, Rachele has had an almost-unbroken string of achievements:

• Attended Michigan State as a freshman
• Performed in Evita as the mistress and sang with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and MSU Chorale
• Transferred to WMU as a Sophomore
• Performed in operatic productions of Gianni Schicchi, Sussanah, and The Magic Flute
• Attended the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria. While there, sang concerts with the festival orchestra and participated in opera and operetta concerts
• Attended Scuola Italia (Italian immersion, training and music preparation program) and The Lake Placid Institute (musical training and preparation program)
• Toured with the award-winning WMU Chorale in Italy, Bulgaria and Romania
• Graduated from WMU with a fine arts degree in Music
• Moved to Boston in 2005 to attend New England Conservatory of Music
• Performed in Conservatory productions - Gianni Schicchi, Dido and Aeneas and Orpheus and the Underworld
• Completed her Master’s degree at the New England Conservatory of Music
• Selected to sing in the New England Conservatory final Commencement Concert
• Debuted in Carnegie Hall
• Performed at the Julliard School with world renowned faculty, performed extensively with the Ibis Camerata
• Recorded with the Ibis Camerata on Albany Records called The Boston Diary
• Helped develop and expand the Boston Opera Collaborative - serving five years with the Collaborative in Membership and Special Events roles
• Performed numerous roles with the Boston Opera Collaborative: Frasquita in Carmen, The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute and Beth in Little Women, just to name a few
• Performed with Cape Cod Opera - Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte

Rachele is now a highly sought-after Opera Soprano in the New England area, where she has lived since 2005. She is currently with Nashville Opera singing main-stage as Frasquita in Carmen and Barbarina in a joint production with Nashville Opera and Opera Columbus.

Even with her success, Rachele is constantly advancing her craft and searching for her next role. Inspired by the famous Robert Frost poem, Stopping By a Woods on a Snowy Evening, her personal motto is "And miles to go before I sleep." She goes as far as admitting to making to-do lists while on vacation so that no opportunity passes her by. Rachele's five-year plan includes winning the Metropolitan Opera competition, learning German, auditioning overseas and maintaining a packed calendar.

Few, if any, who have met Rachele would doubt her resolve.

If you would like to keep up with Rachele's career, visit her website at www.RacheleSchmiege.com

Read about other VHS Alumni:

• Larry Needham (Class of 1994)
• Megan Pool (Class of 2007)
• Diane Rambow Stevens (Class of 1960)
• Evan and Margot (Gilding) Shick (Class of 1952)
• Mason Bishop (Class of 34)
• Tom and Sandy (Miller) Reece (Class of 60)
• Nancy (Brown) Decker (Class of 54)
• Larry & Tina (Schneider) Forsyth (Class of 68 & 69)
• Betsy Bailey (Class of 1998)
• Gwen Sherman (Class of 1957)
• Stephen G. Kukolich (Class of 1958)

Alumni Spotlight | Alumni News | Reunion Calendar
Alumni Resources | In Memoriam | Hall of Fame | Home