Shalee Mortensen Schmidt currently teaches voice in the Department of Theatre’s Musical Theater and Actor Training Programs. She maintains a private voice studio in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is a regular guest presenter specializing in Musical Theater Vocal Technique for organizations and groups such as the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Weber State University Music Department, University of Utah Theatre Department, Southern Utah Music Symposium, Utah Theatre Association Conferences, Utah Home School Association Conventions, local high schools and private studios.
Shalee is co-founder of Gottasing Vocal Studios, providing private vocal instruction, coaching and master classes. She is a co-creator of the voice lesson series Gottasing.com (DVD) and Voice Lessons with David and Shalee (CD). She is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Utah Light Opera, which produces opera, light opera and musical theater productions, as well as recitals and concerts. Shalee is a co-founder, past Executive Director, teacher, music director, and assistant director of productions of Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts, a performing arts charter high school. She is a regular contributor of voice-related articles for “Singer Magazine.”
Shalee recently made her Pioneer Theatre Company debut as Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol: The Musical! She also performed the role of Mother Abbess in the iconic musical The Sound of Music at Sundance Summer Theatre. Other musical theater credits include The Drowsy Chaperone (Drowsy Chaperone), Great American Trailer Park (Betty), Hairspray (Velma) Western Regional Premiere, Hello, Dolly! (Dolly), Nunsense (Sister Hubert), Lucky Stiff (Dominique), Into the Woods (Rapunzel) and Annie (Star to Be/ Boylen Sister). Opera credits include The Gondoliers (Duchess), The Magic Flute (Papagena), and Merry Wives of Windsor. Theater credits include Steel Magnolias (Clairee), Boxcar Children (Mrs. Alden/Baker’s Wife/Mrs. Truman), and Really Rosie (voice of Rosie’s Mother). Live Radio Gold Productions: premieres of the original plays Dry Run (Mary) and A Matter of Husbands (Famous Actress); and My Favorite Husband (Liz), originally starring Lucille Ball.
Shalee graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Music, and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance, Language Diction emphasis. Shalee’s passion is best expressed through performance and her teaching.