Meet our awesome voice teachers!
All of our teachers are currently accepting new students. All lessons are virtual and take place on Zoom.
Lauren Anderson-Bustami
As a professional opera singer, Lauren has been a featured singer at the Kennedy Center and at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. She enjoys singing lyric mezzo opera arias, which often include pants roles! It’s never a dull moment when you get to portray a 15 y/o boy. She is fascinated by the process of premiering new works as well, and love collaborating with living composers to bring their newest works to the stage. Check out this page to learn more about Lauren.
Presently, Lauren is not taking students at this time but you can work with her in Total Vocal Transformation.
Zoe Kanter
Zoe Kanter has been teaching voice and piano lessons for nine years to children and adults of all ages. She has experience teaching all genres of music from musical theater and pop to classical music. As a voice teacher, Zoe’s main focus is to help her students grow their love for music and to make sure they are singing in a healthy way, no matter the style. She has her Bachelors in Voice Performance from Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University and her Masters in Voice Performance from Towson University.
Rebecca Rutkovsky
Soprano, Rebecca Rutkovsky, is a Long Island based singer and voice teacher hailed for her “attention grabbing voice” (Opera Wire). Favorite roles include Alcina (Alcina), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Euridice (Orfeo ed Euridice), First Lady (Die Zauberflöte), The Mother (Hansel and Gretel), Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro), Edith (Pirates of Penzance), Cinderella (Into the Woods) and Rosalia (West Side Story). Rebecca recently worked with composer, Steven Belfer and writer, Stephen Michaelman to create the role of Sarah for the world premiere workshop of their new musical, Panama. In concert Rebecca has performed as the soprano soloist in a televised Schubert’s Mass in G Major with the St. Agnes Cathedral Singers. Rebecca has performed with Amadeus Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, the Allegro Singers, Brooklyn Telemann Chamber Society and Plaza Theatrical Productions. As a recitalist, she has performed various song, operetta, and opera repertoire in concert with the Songe d’été en musique festival in Quebec, Canada, Opera Night Long Island, Oyster Bay Music Festival and Merkin Hall.
A passionate teacher, Rebecca maintains an active voice studio. Rebecca loves to work with students to find their authentic voice through a solid technical foundation so they are able to excel in any repertoire and feel confident in their singing. Rebecca received her masters degree from Binghamton University and bachelors degree from American University, both in Vocal Performance.
Liza Oliver
A certificate graduate at the famed Berklee School of Music, Liza studied voice technique, Music Theory and Basic Ear Training. She also studied the Recording Artist Program at The Musician’s Institute in Hollywood.
Liza is trained in all things studio, performing live, microphone technique and stage presence and polish.
With an extensive musical theater background, she can bring out the best in any vocal performance from audition to show day. She tailors her lessons to each students unique needs in a fun and educational environment.
Liza is an accomplished recording Artist with a number of pop/rock recording credits under her belt. She received a distribution deal with Universal Music which resulted in music placements on the summer and winter Olympics, The Academy Awards, The Academy awards nominations and Live From The Red Carpet, just to name a few.
Let Liza’s extensive and seasoned music career guide and shape the eager young talent of tomorrow. Call today to start your vocal adventure!
Karl Buttermann
Hailed for his “hints at thunderous lows”(Richmond Arts), bass-baritone Karl Buttermann is quickly gaining traction to becoming a major talent in the opera world. Most recently, Karl portrayed the god of thunder, Thor (Donner) in Das Rheingold with TUNDI Productions, as part of their “Wagner in Vermont Festival.” Previously, he sang the role of Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music with MIOpera in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. In December of last year, he sang the part of King Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors, also with MIOpera. In the summer of 2021, he was Don Basilio in MIOpera’s production of Il barbiere di Siviglia. One year before that, Karl was seen in a production of The Magic Flute with Opera North, singing the role of Speaker. The performances took place in the mountains of Cornish, New Hampshire. He was also scheduled to sing Monterone in ON’s production of Rigoletto, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the performances were canceled. Moving forward, Karl is thrilled to take on a new role: a voice teacher! He is very much looking forward to joining Singing With Lauren’s online studio, and cannot wait to share his knowledge with up-and-coming stars of tomorrow.
Max Rosado
Max Rosado is an award-winning professional singer, vocalist born and raised in Puerto Rico, currently living in Maryland who has worked and recorded vocals for and with many artists in Puerto Rico, USA, Mexico, Panama and other countries. With more than 15 years as a professional singer and more than 10 years as a voice teacher, Rosado has been honored to perform in venues all around Puerto Rico and U.S.A and in events like PR Heineken Jazzfest, Dia Nacional de la Zalsa, World Salsa Congress, and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. As a voice teacher, he wants to work with the students to best meet their needs to find their voice, musical talent and style.
James Peterson
James Peterson is a multi-instrumentalist and educator hailing from the Washington DC metro area. When not performing, he teaches piano, guitar, bass guitar and double bass students. In addition to private instruction, James specializes in group classes and ensemble coaching for all ages K-12.
James holds a bachelor’s degree in performance from the Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory as well as two graduate degrees from the Indiana University Jacob School of Music. James’s time at Peabody was spent studying a breadth of specialties including double bass, piano, conducting and music theory. At Indiana University, James chose to focus on orchestral performance for his four years of graduate work.
From Carnegie Hall to basement jazz bars, James’s performing career has taken him all across the country. James performs with many symphony orchestras along the east coast and in the Midwest, and loves to fill the time between with cover bands, musical pits and bluegrass bands.
Dr. Fei Xia
Dr. Fei Xia (soprano) began learning piano at 9, before going on to pursue her vocal studies. She earned the BA degree in Music Education from Xinghai Conservatory of Music in China; the MM degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Miami and an Artist Diploma from Montclair State University. She recently earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance from West Virginia University.
As a professional classical singer, Dr. Xia is currently on soprano roster of Vocal Artists Management. she has been engaged by several opera companies including Vienna Opera Festival, NYLOP, Angels Vocal Arts Opera Company, Manhattan Opera Studio, Connecticut Lyric Opera Young Artist Program, and more. She made her Carnegie Hall debut as Juliette in Romeo et Juliette with New York Lyric Opera. She was invited to perform again at Carnegie Hall, singing the role of Giulietta in Les contes d’Hoffmann. Major opera roles include Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Despina in Cosi fan tutte, Second Lady and Pamina in Die Zauberflote, Gretel in Hansel und Gretel, Manon in Manon, Angelica in Orlando.
A prizewinner of numerous competitions, Dr. Xia was recently awarded Second Prize in the International Youth Music Competition. Other accolades include First Prize in the following competitions: American Protege International Vocal Competition, Golden Classical Awards International Music Competition, “The Song” International Vocal Competition, and etc.
Dr. Xia enjoys teaching vocal, piano, and music theory lessons. In addition to teaching with Singing with Lauren LLC, Dr. Xia also runs her own private music studio in New York City. She is also a vocal instructor at Growing Music Studio in New York City. Previously, she served as Associate Vocal Faculty at West Virginia University Community Music Program.
McKinley Hudson
McKinley is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in guitar, piano, and music theory. He grew up spending most of his time learning music by ear on various instruments. During his teen years, he formed bands with his friends and played shows in small-town southern Arkansas where he was raised.
After graduating high school, he studied music composition at Henderson State University under the guidance of the modern composer, Dr. Phillip Schroeder. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree in music composition, he began exploring metropolitan centers for the first time in his life, teaching private music lessons in Denver, Colorado and Austin, Texas. Through his experiences, he taught hundreds of students and met incredible musicians who inspired him to develop his own brand and distinct style as a musician.
Now, he has officially released dozens of his own songs on all major streaming platforms and garnered well over half of a million streams. He is still committed to sharing his expertise with others in order to spread understanding of the language of music.
Ariel Andrew
Known for having a voice that has been called “a force of nature sound with natural ease” (Parterre Box), Ariel Andrew has been making her way through the opera circuit with a smile and a song to sing.
An avid performer and teacher, Ariel finds herself balancing a career in the hopes to share with others what she has learned. From Sarasota Opera to Opera Company Middlebury to Glow Lyric Theatre, she has performed with companies all around the United States. As she continues to build a performance career that takes her all around the world, she also teaches voice.
Teaching voice privately for almost a decade, Ariel finds joy in helping others find their voice. She takes great pride in her students as they take on auditions, college, and even those who just want to sing for fun! In teaching all levels, she has found so much solace in the gift of helping others.
Annie Griffin
Annie Griffin is a soprano vocalist, educator, and performer based in Chicago, IL. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) in 2017 and began teaching privately in local music studios in 2014. After graduating from U of M, she taught choir, orchestra, and elementary music in the Michigan public school system for six years while managing her own private instruction studio. Annie is a multi-instrumentalist, having studied cello and piano since the age of 10, and she continues to instruct and perform on both instruments.
Annie teaches students of all ages and backgrounds, catering to beginners and seasoned professionals alike. She seamlessly integrates vocal pedagogy into various singing styles, specializing in pop, jazz, musical theater, and classical repertoire. As an instructor, she is dedicated to imparting healthy, age-appropriate techniques while helping artists cultivate stage presence and emotional expression.
Annie firmly believes that meaningful learning arises from one’s personal commitment to growth and lifelong curiosity, maintaining the passion that fuels their love for music. Consequently, she collaborates closely with each student to establish and achieve individualized goals that generate immediate success and excitement with their chosen instrument.
Kirsten Nordland
Kirsten Nordland is a rising dramatic artist teacher, and visual artist currently residing in Northwest Ohio. Nordland received her Masters in Music in Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University. Most recently, she has joined the Toledo Opera Guild as a chorister in 2022.
Nordland has performed with Chicago Summer Opera as Mrs. Herring in Albert Herring, Marcillina in Le nozze di Figaro at Trentino Music Festival in Trentino, Italy, at Bowling Green State University as Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea and Juno in Orpheus in the Underworld, at NUOVA Vocal Arts in Alberta, CA as Stewardess in Flight, and at Shakespeare Opera Theatre as Ursule in Béatrice et Bénédict in Washington DC.
As a teacher, Nordland focuses on fostering her students’ love for singing and performing and helping them stay motivated and engaged in their lessons. Her lessons emphasize a growth mindset and positive attitude.