Mrs. Betty Wintle

Education

• B.M.E., (Vocal Music Education), Pittsburg State University
• M.S., (Voice), Pittsburg State University
• Additional graduate work: Texas Woman’s University, Pittsburg State University
• Orff-Schulwerk training, University of Cincinnati

About Mrs. Betty Wintle

Born in Illinois, in 1942, Mrs. Wintle was raised and educated in Kansas. She was, throughout her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, a voice student of Miss Margaret Thuenemann at Pittsburg State University, where leading opera roles included Michaela in Carmen, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi. She later studied vocal pedagogy with Joan Wall at Texas Woman’s University. Through masterclasses and artist lessons, Wintle has had the opportunity to receive instruction from Herald Stark, Harold Heiberg, Mme. Eva Likova, Willa Stewart, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Andrew White, Nancy Jones, Virginia Botkin, Rudolph Fellner, John McCollum and Richard Miller. She has, also, studied Orff-Schulwerk at the University of Cincinnati.

A soprano, Mrs. Wintle currently teaches applied voice, vocal literature, and lyric diction. She has taught applied voice at SOSU for over twenty-five years, making frequent appearances in recital, as soloist with the University Chorale, and with the Opera Theater. Other teaching assignments, while at SOSU, have included a variety of voice-related courses, such as, class voice, vocal pedagogy, elementary music methods, and opera theater. She has been listed in Who’s Who Among American Teachers.

Mrs. Wintle has appeared in recitals and masterclasses in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and, in 2006, in the UK, appearing on the International Concert Series in Weymouth, England, performing opera duets with noted British mezzo-soprano, Sophia Grech. In summer, 2007, she served on the panel of judges for the Schubert Competition portion of the Città di Ovada International Music Competition in Ovada, Italy. Also, in summer, 2007, she attended the vocal portion of the “Chopin to Górecki” festival at the Chopin Academy in Warsaw, Poland, with Elisabeth Glauser and Sabine Seidel-Seedorf.

Many of Mrs. Wintle’s students have won awards in competition with students from other universities in the state and region. In February of 2007, Megan Crews won the silver medal and monetary award at the Crescendo Music Awards sponsored by the Rotary Club of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

While many former students continue careers as music educators in the public schools, in private studios, and in churches as directors and paid section leaders, still others have been admitted to graduate study, many with scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships, at such universities as Southwest Baptist Seminary, Oklahoma City University, Indiana University, University of Wyoming, University of Minnesota, Southern Methodist University, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University, and Florida State University. Former students have gone on to perform professionally with opera companies such as Minnesota Opera, Santa Barbara Grand Opera, Opera in the Heights, Houston, Anoka Civic Opera, Opera in the Ozarks, and with professional choruses, Minnesota Chorale, Sommerfest Singverein, and Helios Ensemble. Students have performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Mississippi Valley Chamber Orchestra, Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra, Madison Early Music Festival Orchestra, and Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, under conductors, Robert Shaw, Doc Severensin, Bobby McFerrin, David Douglass, Paul Goodwin, William Intrilligator, Hugh Wolff and Eigi Oue.

Throughout her teaching career, Mrs. Wintle has been an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, taking part in regional, state and local activities. She is a past president of the Southern Oklahoma Chapter. Other current professional affiliations include: Music Teachers National Association, Oklahoma Music Teachers Association, and Red River Arts Council. She annually serves as adjudicator for the local Oklahoma Federation of Music Clubs vocal auditions and has performed the same service for the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association Junior and Senior Auditions. Other Professional activities throughout her career have included the Red River Arts Council Advisory Board, Red River Arts Academy faculty, Red River Arts Programs Advisory Council and 18 years as vocal coach for the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival musicals.