Joy Herr Sehested is a private voice instructor and vocalist based in Greenville, SC. With a BA in Voice Performance and a passion for nurturing talent, Joy brings academic training and real-world experience to her studio. Upon graduating college, Joy taught private voice for four years at one of the largest community music schools in the Upstate.

 

Notable highlights of undergrad include a pedagogy internship and numerous performing opportunities spanning opera, musical theatre, and sacred music. Joy was accepted to Miami University’s Frost School of Music summer program for young artists in Salzburg, Austria (2020 - canceled due to COVID), performed as the understudy for Dorabella in Così fan tutte (Bob Jones University, 2020), Ännchen in Scenes from Der Freischütz (Bob Jones University, 2019), a Stewardess in Titanic The Musical (Bob Jones University, 2019), participated in vocal masterclasses with guest artists Tamra Jones and Ms. Hyery Hwang - as well as receiving vocal coaching with Baritone Brandon Hendrickson. Joy has also participated in the National Association of Teachers Singing Competition (NATS) in high school and college. She competed for regionals every year and took first place in her division in 2019. In addition to these undergrad experiences, Joy served as a vocalist for the Presidential Ministry Teams. 

 

Upon audition, Joy participated in Young Vocal Artist programs at Peabody Institute of Music (Baltimore, Maryland 2018) and at Westminster Choir College (Princeton, New Jersey 2016). She has also participated and competed in the Classical Singer Music Convention and Competition in Boston (2018) and Chicago (2019).

 

Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Joy has been passionate about music and the performing arts since childhood. She took first place in the high school division of Opera Lancaster’s Vocal Competition in 2016 and second place in 2017. Other highlights include performing as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz (Lancaster Academy for the Performing Arts, 2017), understudying for Josephine in HMS Pinafore (Servant Stage Company, 2016), and singing the soprano solo “Domine Deus” from Vivaldi’s Gloria and “Agnus Dei” from Mozart’s Coronation Mass (Lancaster Academy for the Performing Arts). Joy joined the chorus for Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (2015) and Bizet’s Carmen (in Concert, 2015) with Opera Lancaster.

 

Currently, Joy performs with Rivertree Singers in Greenville, SC. Besides music, Joy loves animals, the outdoors, cooking, and traveling with her husband.