Gayla Blaisdell

Dr. Gayla Bauer Blaisdell, Professor of Voice and Opera, joined the faculty of Central Washington University in 2008, served as the Vocal Area Coordinator from 2010 – 2021, and became the Graduate Coordinator for the Music Department in the Fall of 2021. She has a vibrant studio of aspiring singers and directs the nationally award-winning CWU Opera Ensemble.

Dr. Blaisdell’s professional activities include her work as a soprano soloist and recitalist as well as an opera director. Coming up in the summer of 2022, she is looking forward to directing a production of Dvorak’s Rusalka at the Utah Vocal Artists Summer Program. As a soloist and recitalist, Dr. Blaisdell has sung in many major New York City venues including Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, and Symphony Space. Since moving to Washington, Dr. Blaisdell has appeared multiple times at Benaroya Hall in Seattle as a soloist and performs regularly with regional orchestras in the Pacific Northwest as the soprano soloist in the Verdi Requiem, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and concerts featuring excerpts from Wagner among others. Dr. Blaisdell often appears with the CWU ensembles to premiere contemporary works and collaborates with colleagues from CWU and around the country in recitals. Her CD, Gayla Blaisdell Performs the Songs of Ross and Paulus, is available for purchase on all major digital music sites including Amazon and iTunes. Dr. Blaisdell is also a highly sought after as a clinician and adjudicator in the state and region, and in 2017, she was an Invited Guest Scholar Lecturer at Nanjing University in China.

Dr. Blaisdell’s scholarly interests intersect in the fields of feminist theory, performance and pedagogy to examine current cultural topics in opera and song. Her article, “Fostering Inclusion: Unpacking Choral Dress Codes and Uniforms” was published in the September 2018 Choral Journal and in 2021 she presented a paper co-written with her CWU Theatre colleague, Dr. Natashia Lindsey, entitled “The Problem with the Fat Lady: Promoting Body Size Diversity Onstage and in the Classroom” at the National Opera Association Conference. Most recently Dr. Blaisdell has expanded her area of research and training to include Intimacy Choreography Best Practices and is pursuing projects that build on and adapt the principles of Consent and Boundary work used in Intimacy Choreography for use in the applied vocal studio and opera. In addition, Dr. Blaisdell recently attended workshops in Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, Consent in the Acting Classroom and she became a Mental Health First Aider in December of 2021.

Dr. Blaisdell holds a Ph.D in Vocal Performance from New York University. She has established herself as a scholar in feminist theory and opera presenting her work at national and regional venues since the completion of her dissertation in the field. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Opera and a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory and a Bachelors Degree in Vocal Performance and a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Blaisdell also trained at the Steans Institute at Ravinia, Tanglewood, Opera North, the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Italy and Dorian Opera Theater.

Degrees:
New York University
Ph.D Vocal Performance

New England Conservatory
M.M. in Voice Performance
G.D. Opera

The Eastman School of Music
B.M. Voice
B.M. Music Education