Lonna Joy Smoot
Lonna Joy Smoot earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Choral Education from Utah State University and a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from Brigham Young University.She was a recipient of the Marie Eccles Caine Music Scholarship at Utah State University and a recipient of the Ariel Bybee Award, at Brigham Young University.
She was awarded a Graduate Vocal Assistantship at BYU and studied voice with Lawrence Vincent and Clayne Robison during her studies in Provo. In 2003, Smoot was selected to be a guest lecturer at the International Colloquium for Vernacular, Hispanic, Historical, American and Folklore Studies held in Puebla, Mexico.
Lonna Joy has performed in recitals and concerts in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Austria, Italy, Finland, and Russia. After graduation from Utah State University, she studied with the Cultural Studies Academy in conjunction with Baldwin Wallace College in Salzburg, Austria with Rainer Buland of the Mozarteum. Following studies at BYU she was a participated in the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria.
Some of her operatic credits include; Despina in Così fan tutte , Concepcion in L’heure Espagnole, The Witch Hänsel and Gretel, the Countess in Le Nozze de Figaro, Gretel in Hänsel and Gretel, Mimí in La Boheme, the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, the Monitor in Suor Angelica, Gianetta in The Gondoliers, and the Mother in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. Smoot has also performed in productions of Otello, Three Hermits, I Pagliacci, and Carmen with Utah Opera. Enjoying opportunities in musical theater productions, Lonna Joy has more recently performed such roles as Mrs. Lovett in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, Golde in Fiddler on The Roof, and Miss Hannigan in Annie.
For the past 12 years, she has enjoyed performing with the Idaho Falls Opera Theatre and is also a regular soloist in their autumn concerts. She sings with Anam Cara (The Chamber Choir of Idaho), currently under the direction of Dr. Kevin Brower of BYU-Idaho. Smoot is a member of the Idaho Falls Opera Theatre board of directors and Anam Cara board of directors. Lonna Joy is a current certified music teacher in the State of Idaho. In 2012, she began serving as an Adjunct Faculty Member of the Music Department at BYU-Idaho.