Meet our instructor

Casey Joan Kollman (CJ) is an award-winning vocalist, actor, dancer and songwriter based in the midwest. She works professionally as both a performer and a music teacher. She also writes her own music in her spare time (listen to her music here !).

CJ holds degrees from Lawrence University and Conservatory of Music in Vocal Performance (BM) and Theatre Arts (BA) with a minor in Vocal Pedagogy and a focus in Choral Leadership. Her education philosophy is passion-oriented, focusing on singers & pianists who are driven and multi-interested. She teaches musical theatre artists, classical vocalists, pop singers, choral singers, young singers, songwriters and beginning to intermediate pianists.

Recent employment in both education & performance include: Soprano with Aperi Animam; Phoebe Understudy/Ensemble in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder with Kith & Kin Theatre Collective; Assistant Music Director of Into the Woods with Wautoma High School alongside Thomas Dubnicka; Soprano Soloist & Section Leader with North Shore Congregational Church; Soprano with Chant Claire; Long-Term Choral Substitute & Voice Lesson Teacher with Muskego High School and Park Prairie Middle School; Voice & Piano Private Lesson Teacher with Music&Arts in Muskego; Short-Term Band Director with MHS; Soprano Soloist & Alto Section Leader with First Congregational United Church of Christ.

A life-long student herself, CJ studies with professionals all around the country. She has been on scholarship with Danceworks, MKE since 2024 and training with Mike Petrone out of LA since 2022. She has plans to move to Chicago in September 2025 which would allow for a widening of professional opportunities, access to training, and a wider pool of amazing students to teach!

Awards include: Danceworks, Inc. Scholarship (2025); Schubert Club Thelma Hunter Award (2024); Mississippi Opera Competition (Semi-Finalist); NATS Semifinalist (2023, 2024); Schubert Club 2nd Place Winner (2023).

Professional References: Michael Petrone (ActorsAve); Dr. Chuck Chandler (DePaul University School of Music); Christal Wagner (Danceworks MKE); Richard Ashworth (Danceworks MKE); Kristin Roach (Lawrence University): Dr. Phillip Swan (Lawrence University); Dr. Shannon Gravelle (Lawrence University); Copeland Woodruff (Lawrence University); John Albrecht (First Congregational UCC - Appleton, WI).