Danielle Hurtig, Soprano, Violinist, and Violist is a Suburban-Chicago native who has lived and breathed the musical arts for over 25 years!
Danielle holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, having studied under the tutelage of Soprano Dawn Harris. While studying voice at Illinois, Danielle also trained in Piano and Vocal Pedagogy.
Opera holds a dear place in Danielle’s heart – she is a coloratura soprano and loves all things Mozart. Even though opera is the genre Danielle typically performs, she has a deep love for musical theatre, pop and especially classic rock. Favorite past operatic roles have been Yum-Yum/Peep-Bo in Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Mikado” (above), and Polly Potter in the Marx Brothers comedy, “The Cocoanuts”.
In addition to her love of the vocal arts, Danielle has flourished as an orchestral violist and contemporary electric violinist. With Viola as her primary instrument, she studied under the instruction of violist Karen Summerville, having discovered strings as an elementary-aged student joining her school orchestra. Danielle has played in many community and church orchestras, in addition to contemporary praise and worship teams.
Danielle feels most at home in the teaching studio. Working with students to discover their love of music and to find their voice is one of her life’s joys. She has taught private lessons in her own home and at several music schools in the Chicagoland suburbs for the past 15 years. Danielle’s goal for all of her students is to help them flourish on their instrument by learning proper technique and healthful usage, rooted in the classical tradition – all of which allows the student to excel in whichever genre of music they love most. Above all, she believes fun is the most essential component of learning an instrument!
When Danielle isn’t busy practicing (yes she does practice often!) or listening to music, she is busy chasing after her 6-year-old son (Caleb) and 3-year old daughter (Callie), watching hockey with her husband Chris (Go, Blackhawks!), devouring as many books as possible, and snuggling with her adorable kitties Barnaby and Mozart.
(No cats were harmed in the taking of these photos – they were however told they needed to up their practice time, and were rewarded handsomely with treats for their impeccable posture)
Danielle Hurtig 