DETTBARN-SLAUGHTER, VIVIAN (b. 1955)

Composer Vivian Dettbarn-Slaughter, born on November 3, 1955, is a native of Santa Barbara, California. Dr. Vivian Dettbarn-Slaughter is on the music faculty of the University of Findlay, and holds a joint faculty appointment as Professor of Sacred Music at the Graduate Theological Foundation and Cloverdale College.

 

Originally from Santa Barbara, California, early studies included voice at the Music Academy of the West with Natalie Bodanya, piano with Peter Yazbeck and English avant-garde composer Mildred Couper, and harpsichord with John Gillespie. She has worked with many distinguished voice teachers and coaches, including Beverly Hay, Sharon Papian, Birgit Nilsson, John Wustman, Martial Singher, Grant Wenaus, Christine Schadeburg, and Robert Behan.

 

Dr. Dettbarn-Slaughter has been an Artist-in-Residence with Toledo Opera and was a winner of the Friedrich Schorr Performance Prize in Voice, as well as the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Post-Advanced Awards, and study awards from Atlantic Records. She has performed with orchestras, opera companies and in recital as a singer, chamber musician and pianist in the United States, Canada and Europe. She holds a bachelor's degree in piano from the University of California Santa Barbara, a master's degree in music education from the Appalachian State University in North Carolina, a doctorate in sacred music from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Indiana, and completed postgraduate studies in vocal performance and music history at the University of Memphis. 

 

Dr. Dettbarn-Slaughter was music department chair at Adrian College, where she taught applied music, music history, opera and theatre workshops, and honors courses dealing with music and society.  She has also taught at Appalachian State University, Memphis State University, and the ASU-affiliated Cannon Music Camp. She has been a classical music announcer and on-air personality with the Memphis NPR Affiliate, WKNO.

 

Dr. Dettbarn-Slaughter has worked in Michigan as Director of Music for the Adrian Dominican Sisters, as Organist and Director of Youth Music at the First Presbyterian Chuch in Adrian, and in various churches in California, Tennessee and North Carolina. She is a member of The National Association of Teachers of Singing, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, and Sigma Alpha Iota Professional Women's Music Fraternity. Her choral music is published by Alliance Publications, Inc., and additional published work can be found at lulu.com. Her son is flutist Ryan Dettbarn.