A “dynamic and versatile performer,” Kara Masek is a singer, actor, and voice teacher whose performing and teaching career spans a broad range of musical genres.
Rooted in her love of theatre, some of her favorite credits include Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Petra in A Little Night Music, Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, Princess Léonide in Triumph of Love, Doria Hudson in SMILE, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Casilda in The Gondoliers, Antonia in Man of La Mancha, Norma in Victor/Victoria, and performing in the musical revue Sondheim on Sondheim, as well in memorable roles in the plays The Best of Everything and Terrence McNally’s Master Class.
As an operatic soprano, Kara has performed the roles of The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Amina in La Sonnambula, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Despina in Così fan tutte, Letitia in Old Maid and the Thief, and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro. She has also appeared as a soprano soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana and Handel’s Messiah. Her favorite concert engagements include Opera in the Park’s Opera Sings Broadway in San Francisco and a tour of opera classics in historic venues throughout Verona, Italy. Her other achievements in the classical realm include being a recipient of the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions Special Encouragement Award and being named a selected singer with The Opera Buffs organization in Los Angeles.
Kara holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from San Diego State University. She also earned a certificate in Contemporary Commercial Vocal Pedagogy I–III from the CCM Institute at Shenandoah Conservatory and has trained with some of the nation’s leading pedagogues and voice specialists.
Before joining Anderson University, Kara served on the voice faculty at California State University, Los Angeles, where she specialized in cross-training singers to excel in both classical and contemporary vocal styles. Her teaching approach is uniquely tailored to the demands of the musical theatre genre and the wide range of styles required for today’s industry, including jazz, pop, rock, classical, and legit musical theatre singing. Her students benefit from her deep understanding of vocal health and technique, enabling them to sing authentically and sustainably in multiple genres.
Professor Masek teaches Applied Voice Lessons, and Intro to Musical Theatre Performance, and was the music director for AU’s recent productions of Edges, Simply Showtunes!, and Guys & Dolls.