Trainer Profile

Dr. Lara Brooks is a soprano, educator, and director known for her dynamic performances across opera, musical theatre, jazz, and contemporary commercial music (CCM). Her stage credits include a variety of leading roles such as Rosalie Mullins in School of Rock—The Musical, Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, Tytania in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza, among others. As a sought-after soloist, she has performed Bach’s Cantata 147, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Fauré’s Requiem.

Dr. Brooks is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Voice & Lyric Theatre at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her teaching focuses on the integration of classical, musical theatre, jazz, and CCM genres, with an emphasis on healthy, empowered singing using the Estill Voice Method. She is a certified Estill Master Trainer® and regularly presents workshops on flexible voice technique and cross-training vocalists for a variety of genres. Her sessions, such as “Crossing Genres: A Classical Singer’s Guide to Jazz” and “Healthy Belting Techniques for Classical Singers,” have been featured at prestigious events including the Estill World Voice Symposium (Vienna, 2023), the International Congress of Voice Teachers (Stockholm & Vienna), and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

A passionate mentor, Dr. Brooks has guided students to successful careers in performance, teaching, and voice pedagogy. Her students are regularly recognized at national competitions and have been accepted into top programs such as New York University, Carnegie Mellon University, Indiana University, and the University of Southern California.

In addition to her teaching, Dr. Brooks is a well-regarded music and stage director. She has directed and music-directed productions with notable companies like The Detroit Opera House, CCT, and The Ohio State Opera and Musical Theatre. Her direction of Newsies and The Happy Elf at CCT earned her BroadwayWorld Regional Awards for Best Musical Direction and Orchestration in 2022 and 2023.

A frequent guest clinician and speaker, Dr. Brooks has presented at universities, high schools, and conferences across the United States, Canada, and Europe. She has held faculty positions at The Ohio State University, Washburn University, Friends University, and Millikin University. Dr. Brooks holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Studies, Voice from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as well as a Masters of Music in Classical Vocal Performance & Literature, and Bachelor’s in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Central Michigan University.

Dr. Brooks is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Sigma Alpha Iota, Pi Kappa Lambda, and the Jazz Education Network. She was named a 2023 NATS Intern and is committed to nurturing the next generation of vocal artists.