Please join us asour talented instructors of Vocal and Piano perform for you.

Dr. Brock Johnson,

Dr. Brock Johnson has been a resident of Texas since 2011 where he has appeared with The Dallas Opera, The University of North Texas Opera Theater, Highland Park Chorale, The Texas Voices, and Family Arts. He completed his DMA at the University of North Texas where he sang the role of Silvio in Pagliacci. He was also chosen to sing the bass solos in the Czech Christmas Mass, Česká mše vánoční, at UNT and throughout Texas. Johnson received his Master’s degree in vocal pedagogy from the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. While at the conservatory, Johnson appeared as Masetto in Don Giovanni, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and numerous scenes with the opera department. He received his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University where he was active in the opera program.

During Johnson’s undergraduate career, he performed the roles of Colas in Bastien und Bastienne; Mr. Bluff in The Impressario; Ben in The Telephone; Curio in Giulio Cesare; Toymaker in The Toyshop; The Officer in Il barbiere di Siviglia; Marco in Gianni Schicci; and has been in Die Zauberflöte, La Traviata, and participated in numerous opera scenes. After he graduated, Johnson performed with Oklahoma State University Opera Theater as a special guest alumnus in the role of Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus. Johnson was also invited to sing the role of Shaunard in the second act of La Boheme alongside Leona Mitchell at the Leona Mitchell and Friends concert in Enid, Oklahoma. He currently serves as music minister at Wesley United Methodist Church in Greenville. Johnson is a certified Vocologist under the tutelage of Dr. Ingo Titze through the National Center of Voice and Speech in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mrs. Libby Vanatta

Libby Vanatta, a native of Middle Tennessee, joined the music faculty at A&M University-Commerce in 2010 as Instructor of piano. She currently teaches class piano, piano pedagogy, piano literature, and private piano lessons as well as coordinating accompanying serves for the department. An active accompanist in Commerce, Ms. Vanatta has also performed throughout the country at conferences, competitions, and in guest artist recitals. Passionate about chamber music, Ms. Vanatta formed Doppio Movimento in 2011 with her Texas A&M University-Commerce colleague, Dr. Luis Sanchez. The duo gives regular performances and presentations including a presentation at the 2013 Texas Music Teachers Association conference on how to use piano duets to teach other musicianship skills in regular piano lessons.

Prior to her appointment at A&M-Commerce, Ms. Vanatta taught at The University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg, MS), Indiana State University (Terre Haute, IN), and Millikin University (Decatur, IL). Her teaching responsibilities have included music theory classes, class piano, and applied lessons. In addition to teaching and accompanying, she also served as coordinator of graduate studies at The University of Southern Mississippi and coordinator of class piano at Millikin University.

Through the various university community outreach programs, Ms. Vanatta has taught Musikgarten classes, private piano lessons, theory/musicianship classes for kids, and beginning group classes for all ages. For eight years, she spent her summers working for Illinois Summer Youth Music camps at the University of Illinois, teaching theory classes, class piano, and music listening classes, and as piano camp instructor. For five of the ten years she spent teaching in the Piano Laboratory Program at the University of Illinois, she served as coordinator of the program, managing its day-to-day activities.

Designated a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music by the Music Teachers National Association, Ms. Vanatta continues to be active in the organization as advisor to the TAMU-C Collegiate Chapter and Treasurer for Hunt County MTA. While in Mississippi, she served on the Mississippi Music Teachers Association board as Certification Chair. She is also a member of the National Federation of Music Clubs, National Guild of Piano Teachers, and Sigma Alpha Iota international music fraternity where she serves as Director for the Graduate Performance Awards.

Ms. Vanatta has served as adjudicator for many events including state solo and ensemble competitions, ensemble festivals, sonata/sonatina festivals, Piano Guild auditions, NFMC festivals, and MTNA state syllabus events. She served as examiner during the summer of 2013 for the International Piano Performance Examination Committee in Taiwan. In addition to administering piano examinations all over Taiwan, Ms. Vanatta also participated in a charity concert given in Tainan.

Ms. Vanatta holds a Bachelor of Science in piano performance from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, and a Master of Music in piano pedagogy from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.