Laurice Lanier

Laurice Lanier - Trowell, is a professional vocalist, vocal coach, worship leader, pianist, tap dancer, and group and youth fitness instructor. Ms. Lanier is a graduate of The Juilliard School; New York, NY, where she majored in Vocal Performance and Foreign Language. Ms. Lanier, named by Maryland Public Television as "One of the Most Versatile Voices on the Planet", is originally from Jackson, TN. Ms. Lanier’s strong vocal training comes from the incomparable, Edith Bers. Ms. Lanier has studied piano since the age of 6. Her piano training comes from the Late Alicia Dunn of Chicago, IL and Soo-Young Kim, New York, NY. Ms. Lanier studied Musical Theater, Dance, Piano and Voice at Governor’s School of the Arts; Murfreesboro, TN, Hartwick College Summer Music Festival & Institute; Oneonta, NY and Interlochen Performing Arts; Interlochen Michigan. Ms. Lanier is a certified Youth Fitness Instructor. Ms. Lanier has over 20 years of teaching music privately, directing choirs, conducting master classes and performing in churches and performance halls in the United States and abroad. Ms. Lanier is known as an exquisite and professional Performer and Entertainer, Piano, Voice, Theater, Dance and Fitness Instructor, Lecturer, and Pedagogy Scholar.

Ms. Lanier has performed various roles in opera houses, theatres, concerts halls, private functions, and churches throughout the United States and abroad. Her performances include, Handel’s Messiah with the Metropolitan Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., Brahm’s Alto Rhapsody, El Amor Brujo, with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Jackson, TN, and a Spiritual Concert Series with Gaby Leib Cuturais Sao Paulo, Brazil, Rio di Janeiro, Brazil, and the Capitol, Brasilia. Laurice presented a concert for Sigma Gamma Rho’s National Convention in Miami Florida. She has performed in Carnegie Hall as a Leontyne Price Showcase Winner, New York, NY, Bach Christmas Oratorio with the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, TN, Holiday Pops Concert with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in Springfield, IL, and the Black History Opera View with Opera Memphis, Memphis, TN. Laurice has performed with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra for their Martin Luther King Celebration at the Nashville Performing Arts Center in Nashville, TN. Ms Lanier’s theatre credits include, Director Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme on Broadway, and Marion J. Caffey’s 3 Mo’ Divas. Ms. Lanier opened TN’s General Assembly with a performance of America the Beautiful on Tennessee’s Capitol Hill where TN House of Representative Matt Kisber presented Ms. Lanier with The House Joint Resolution in her honor. Ms. Lanier performed for the Hampton Ministers’, Organists’, and Choir Guild Conference at Hampton University in Hampton, VA. Ms. Lanier has been awarded various awards. Her awards include, Outstanding Musician Award from the Interlochen Arts Camp, Interlochen, MI and the Most Outstanding Musician Award from Hartwick College Summer Music Festival & Institute, Oneonta, NY. Ms. Lanier received scholarships to attend Opera Works Intensive Study at University of California at Northridge, and the Music Academy of the West under the direction of Opera Diva, Marilyn Horne, in Santa Barbara, CA. Her most recent award comes from her performance on the 3 Mo’ Divas CD. The 3 Mo’ Divas CD was nominated for a 2010 Image Award for Best Duo, Group, or Collaboration with artists, Alicia Keys & Jay-Z, The Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, and Kanye West. Ms Lanier was selected out of three thousand singers to represent the state of New York in the Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition in Vienna, Austria. She was one out of fourteen singers to make it to the finals and perform in Vienna’s beautiful and elegant city hall. Ms. Lanier performed at the World Famous Apollo in honor of Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson for the 50th Anniversary of the “March on Washington”. Ms. Lanier has served as the “Official Private Vocal Instructor” for The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band vocalists.

Currently, Ms. Lanier serves as Director of Music And Vocal Department for Beauty for Ashes Contemporary School of Dance; Hampton, VA. Ms. Lanier serves as a group fitness instructor and teaches tap cardio in the Hampton Roads area. Ms. Lanier currently serves as Worship Leader for the Langley Air Force Base Protestant Community Service.

Menno Feenstra, Artistic Director of the Royal Opera House said, “When Laurice sings you forget the bad in your life”. Eric Reszynak, writer and critic for the Rochester City Newspaper said, “If you look inside Lanier, you will find a small hole that would somehow be connected to God’s walkie-talkie”. Ms. Lanier epitomizes the spirit and commitment that is characteristic of an authentic artist; her pursuit of excellence in all her endeavors is clearly deserving of the respect and admiration.