Désirée is a soprano, voice teacher, vocal coach, musical theater music director, and choral conductor.

In her private voice studio in Pasadena, Désirée teaches singers of different ages in a wide variety of musical styles. Her students have sung in professional touring companies of Rent and Hamilton, are singing on Broadway (currently in Wicked) and at Austin Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Opera Philadelphia, and for the LA Master Chorale, Pacific Chorale, and Les Arts Florissants. She also works with actors in film and TV, most recently working with several cast members of Amazon Prime’s hit show The Boys. To hear from some of Désirée’s students, click here.

She is especially experienced at getting high-school age singers prepared for their college auditions. Her students have been accepted into the vocal performance or musical theater programs at Mannes Conservatory of Music, Peabody Conservatory of Music, University of Michigan, University of Miami, Northwestern University, Brigham Young University, Princeton University, Vanderbilt University, Emory University, Eastman School of Music, University of California Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California.

Désirée is the Director of Choral & Vocal Activities at Occidental College in Los Angeles, where she teaches private voice and class voice as well as conducts the Glee Club and College Chorus. As a music faculty member of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program for 17 years, she music-directed the Opera Scenes Workshop, taught advanced master classes, and coordinated the solo vocal recitals.  Before arriving at Occidental, Désirée was on the voice faculty of both Chapman University and the summer graduate program at California State University, Los Angeles. Additionally, she taught voice and conducted the Glee Clubs at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

As a classical soprano, Désirée specializes in the oratorio repertoire, and has been soprano soloist in Poulenc’s Gloria, Fauré’s Requiem, and Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, all at Disney Hall; Brahms’ Ein Deutches Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, and Bach’s Magnificat, among others. She is a highly experience choral singer as well, singing in professional choirs such as the Los Angeles Bach Festival and the Donald Brinegar Singers and in ensembles across Southern California.

Experienced in pop music as well as classical, Désirée is also a singer-songwriter and released an album of original songs, Yellow Morning, in 2021.

Trained as a pianist as well as a singer, her Bachelor of Music degree is in Accompanying from California State University, Fullerton. Her voice teachers have included Jane Paul, Kate Peters, and Donald Brinegar. She received her Master of Music in Vocal and Choral Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she studied with Donald Brinegar and Bruce Mayhall.  She is a member of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), SCVA (Southern California Vocal Association), and ACDA (American Choral Directors Association).