Constance Rock

Associate Professor of Voice, Coordinator of Applied Vocal Studies

Hailed for her effortless high notes and riveting voice, soprano Constance Rock enjoys a diversified career as a performer, teacher, and master class clinician. She has been a featured performer with Connecticut Opera, Cleveland Orchestra’s Blossom Music Festival, Beethoven International Symposium, New York Choral Arts Society, Nebraska Chamber Orchestra, and Hartford Symphony, along with many other appearances throughout the U. S. Noted appearances on the operatic stage have included Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata, Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Constanze in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Elisa in Mozart’s Il Re Pastore, Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen, Marguerite in Boito’s Mefistofele and Ginevra in Handel’s Ariodante. The Hartford Courant praised her performance in the title role of Donizetti’s Lucia in which her “High D’s, E-flats, and E’s rang out beautifully clear.” In 2007, Rock premiered the song cycle Rise and Fall, composed for her by composer Jake Heggie.

The recipient of many awards, Rock was a four-time winner of the District Metropolitan Opera Guild Competition and was a top prizewinner for three years at the Upper Midwest Regional Metropolitan Guild Competition in Minneapolis. She was a first place winner in the Midwest Regional Auditions of the Merola Opera Program in Denver, sponsored by the San Francisco Opera, and first place winner of the Amici Vocal Competition. She also has been a finalist in the Connecticut Opera Guild Competition and the National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition.

In addition to her active performing schedule, Rock maintains a full-time voice studio at the University of Connecticut. Her students perform regularly around the U.S. and abroad with companies such as The Metropolitan Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Arizona Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera New Jersey, Opera Carolina, Boston Lyric Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Omaha, Madison Opera, Opera Iowa, Union Avenue Opera, American Lyric Theatre, Opera North, AIMS, La Musica Lirica, Franco-American Vocal Academy, Opera Viva and many others. Her studio includes winners of such prestigious competitions as the Metropolitan Opera Guild Competition, Richard Tucker Awards Competition, Connecticut Opera Guild Competition, Jenny Lind Competition, Amici Vocal Competition, Sullivan Awards Competition and the Liederkranz Competition. Alumni from Dr. Rock’s studio continued their education with scholarships and merit-based awards at prestigious conservatories such as The New England Conservatory, The Juilliard School, Westminster Choir College, and The Yale School of Music.

Sought after for her expertise in vocal pedagogy, Rock’s recital and master class schedule includes appearances in Connecticut, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nebraska. Rock spends her summer in Perigueux, France where she serves on the faculty of the Franco-American Vocal Academy and collaborates with artists such as award winning composer, Isabelle Aboulker, of the Paris Conservatoire, critically acclaimed soprano Frederique Added, and internationally renowned tenor, William Lewis.