Laura Portune
Assistant Teaching Professor; Area Coordinator of Voice
She/her/hers
N382 Timashev Building
1866 College Rd
Columbus, OH 43210
Areas of Expertise
- Voice
- Music Theatre
- Stage Directing
- Singing Health
- Career Mentoring
- Italian
Education
- DMA, The Ohio State University, 2011
- Singing Health Specialization, The Ohio State University, 2010
- Italian Studies, Universita per Stranieri di Perugia, Italy, 2003
- MM, The Ohio State University, 2000
- BA (cum laude), University of Notre Dame, 1998
Acclaimed soprano Laura Portune has performed over seventy roles in opera, operetta and concert works throughout the United States, Italy, Austria, Ireland, France, Greece and the Czech Republic. She created the roles of Johnsy and Laura in the world premieres of The Last Leaf with the Severoceska Filharmonie (Czech Republic) and La vita e la morte di Gesualdo with the Opera Theatre of Lucca (Italy), and the role of Sister Mouse for the recording of Animal Opera with San Diego Opera. She has performed with such artists as Sondra Radvanovsky, Rodney Gilfry, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Denyce Graves while appearing with the San Diego Opera, Dayton Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Lake George Opera, Lyric Opera San Diego, and Opera Columbus. Portune has been a featured soloist with the Dayton Philharmonic, Columbus Symphony, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Greek Orchestra (Athens, Greece), Rogue Valley Symphony, Newark-Granville Symphony, and Westerville Symphony; renowned for her performances of Gliere’s Concerto Coloratura, Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate, and Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Portune was a finalist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Awards and Lyric Opera Chicago's prestigious Ryan Opera Center, and has appeared as a young artist with Lake George Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and San Diego Opera. A crossover recording artist, Portune is a featured soloist on Joy on Earth with the Comunauté Taizé (Cluny, France), Broadway with the Muse Machine (Ohio), and Prophets of Joy with the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir.
As a stage director, Portune’s professional and collegiate credits include Nightingale Opera (Street Scene, The Scarf, Orfeus and Euridice), Southern Illinois Music Festival (Don Giovanni), Opera Project Columbus (Suor Angelica), Columbus Children's Theatre (Sleeping Beauty kids), Youth Sing Praise (Lost and Found, Moses), Ohio Wesleyan (Little Shop of Horrors), The Ohio State University (Manon/Suor Angelica/L’elisir d’amore scenes), and the University of Notre Dame (Mainly Mozart scenes program).
Laura Portune currently serves as assistant teaching professor and area head of Voice. She has lectured on rehabilitation techniques and healthy repertoire choices in teaching and performing as a guest speaker for universities, young artist programs, and at Bridgeway Academy and Therapy Center for music therapists. An advocate for diversity and inclusion, Portune appeared as a guest panelist in On the Stage Together: Dialogues on Diversity, expanding conversations with Ohio State students, and received an Arts and Humanities Grant to bring Emmy award-winning performer Adrienne Danrich to speak to the School of Music on performing, opportunities and social justice issues. Portune is a coordinator for the School of Music Ambassadors (SOMA) program, serves on the Concert Committee, and created Wellness Wednesday programs for the School of Music.
Portune is a frequent guest clinician and adjudicator, and regularly writes for Classical Singer Magazine. Previous teaching appointments include lecturer of voice and music theatre at Otterbein University; and visiting professor, voice faculty and opera director at the University of Notre Dame.
Selected Publications
- “Adrienne Danrich: Be the Light.” Classical Singer Magazine (Summer 2021): cover story. Pages and link TBA.
- "Owning your Vocal Health." Classical Singer Magazine (October 2019): 118–121.
- “Singer and Administrator: Gabriel Preisser.” Classical Singer Magazine (June/July 2016): 36–39.
- "Choosing Audition Repertoire." Classical Singer Magazine (December 2015): 48–51.
- "Practicing Efficiently." Classical Singer Magazine (November 2015): 52–55.
- "L’Universita per Stranieri di Perugia." Classical Singer Magazine (January 2007): 52–55.
- Portune Cordell, L. M. (2011). Bridging the Gap: Transitioning Vocalists from Academia to Career (DMA document). The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Laura Portune's curriculum vitae [pdf] (March 2024)