Keri Lee Pierson is a classically trained soprano, contemporary musician, and music educator. She currently is a Doctor of Musical Arts student at Bowling Green State University where she collaborates regularly with her colleagues and instructors and performs frequently with The MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music.
Planning interesting and audience involved events, with a lean towards contemporary chamber music is Keri Lee‘s primary focus. For 2021-22, she was awarded two grants from the Florida Department of State for her voice and guitar duo, Deux Saisons, to tour in St. Johns County Public Libraries and schools. In May of 2022, Keri Lee performed at multiple concerts and presented on interactive performances at the 8th International Conference on Music and Minimalism. In 2020, during the Covid-19 Pandemic, her duo performed in many virtual concerts, as well as prepared and produced an all-premiers concert for voice & guitar called DUSK to DAWN. She has created two award-winning interactive performances with Deux Saisons titled Music & Meditation, and iPlay: An Audience Perspective on New Music. A few more unique performances have been hosting a music and wine pairing event, and a once in a lifetime opportunity in 2015 of singing with the Rolling Stones. Keri Lee played a Street Singer and had solos in Opera at USC’s production of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS in 2018. In 2015, she helped raise awareness and plan an open discussion at UCF with composer, Eric Whitacre. She also plays flute and piccolo.
Keri Lee has presented events and concerts throughout the United States and in Europe. In July 2024, she will be performing at Mass MOCA as part of the Bang-on-a-Can Summer Festival. On March 8, 2024 (International Women’s Day) Keri Lee presented her 2nd concert of all female composers at the Timucua Arts Foundation called I Am Woman with female performers of the Musiva Concert Series. Her first concert featured solo voice works by composer/ performer vocalists. She was part of a call for scores with Vox Novus in NYC called 15-Minutes of Fame. She has performed for the New Music Festival, Nief-Norf Summer Festival, BGSU’s Praecepta, FreshInc. Festival, the Romanza Festivale, Groupmuse, the Cortona Sessions for New Music, Yo Me Quedo en Casa, Wired Music, the Brookfield Community Partnership in VT, the At Home Artists Project, various concerts & events at the University of South Carolina and the University of Central Florida, and at many different local venues and churches. She also maintains an active profile on Fiverr.com.
Keri Lee has given presentations and masterclasses on music entrepreneurial skills and composing for the voice at Bowling Green State University, with the Bowling Green Arts Council, as an alumna of University of South Carolina, and as an alumna of University of Central Florida, and has been a part of residencies at Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Previously, Keri Lee lived and performed in the beautiful Saint Augustine, Florida, where she was an Adjunct Instructor at Flagler College. She taught young minds music reading skills and music history at Veritas Classical School, was a staff musician at Memorial Presbyterian Church, served as the Assistant Director of the St. Augustine Youth Chorus, and taught lessons to all ages and skill levels. Keri Lee holds a Master’s in Vocal Performance from the University of South Carolina, and a Bachelor’s in Vocal performance from the University of Central Florida.
Keri Lee has studied voice with mezzo-soprano Katherine Pracht Phares and soprano Dr. Jane Schoonmaker-Rodgers at BGSU, mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway at South Carolina, tenor Dr. Jeremy Hunt at Central Florida and Miss Ohio 1975 Susan Banks Ward prior to college. She also worked closely with composer Dr. Marilyn Shrude, previous SPARK Director & oboist Dr. Rebecca Nagel, opera director Ellen Shlaefer, and choir directors Dr. Gary Wyatt, Dr. Alicia Walker, Dr. Kelly Miller, and Dr. David Brunner.
Beyond music, Keri Lee has been a part of her communities through local organizations. She is currently involved with the Bowling Green Arts Council and has served as the Outreach & Fundraising Chair of the Saint Augustine Community Choir Board of Directors, and the Communications Chair of the Jacksonville UCF Alumni Chapter.
Having band as a major part of her music history, Keri Lee is a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi and has held leadership positions in her home chapter Eta Sigma, as well as serving on a national committee. A previous member of the Marching Knights, she has held band leadership positions. At UCF, she was part of the organization LEAD Scholars where she took service classes, attended leadership workshops, and conducted local service projects.
Although an active performer, Keri Lee also has interests in entrepreneurship and community engagement, music cognition and musicology.
