Valerie Dzielski is an explorative, emotive performer of a variety of genres. Valerie loves languages and history, the research of which informs her interpretations and inspires her to invite audiences to connect with the shared human experiences and emotions from stories across every era. As a teacher of voice and piano at the Bryn Mawr School, Valerie inspires her students to become skilled, independent, emotive musicians who are self-motivated to pursue their craft in whatever genre speaks to them.

As student at the renowned Peabody Conservatory of Johns-Hopkins University, Valerie continues to engage with diverse, relevant repertoire as she continues to deepen her understanding of language and artistic communication. She enjoys exploring lesser known works in her solo vocal repertoire. As both a soloist and chorister with the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble, Valerie contributes to historically informed performances of early music representing multiple cultures and languages, including Sephardic and Old French. This winter, under the direction of Tina Chancey, PRE will present “I Love Lucette”, a program of French theatrical chanson.

She is the 2023 recipient of the Polish American Arts Association Scholarship for her study and performance of Polish art song. Valerie has had a long curiosity for the language and culture of Poland and a drive to explore the fascinating history and politics encapsulated in Polish songs. She is currently completing an independent study on Polish diction and vocal repertoire with Dr Laura Kafka-Price. Valerie was praised for her performance of 3 unpublished songs by Samuel Barber at the 2020 Lindsey Christiansen Art Song Festival. Valerie’s raw and quirky interpretations of lieder have made audiences both laugh and cry. Mozart arias make up the core of her opera repertoire but she also enjoys singing Massenet, Donizetti, and Handel.

Valerie is expanding her opera experience during her graduate studies at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and beyond. This summer at La Musica Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy, Valerie will be understudy for Alice in Verdi’s Falstaff. In Spring of 2023, Valerie sang in the chorus of Don Giovanni with Peabody Opera Theatre. In Westminster Opera Theaters 2018 production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, she made her opera debut as Zweiter Knabe. In opera scene workshops Valerie has explored a diverse variety of soprano and mezzo soprano including Dorabella and Despina(Così Fan Tutte), Second Niece (Peter Grimes), Mercedes (Carmen), Susanna, the Countess, and Marcellina (Le Nozze di Figaro). Most recently, she studied the role of Jenny in a scene from Roman Fever by Robert Ward with Peabody’s Opera Workshop.

Valerie currently works as a cantor and soprano section leader at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore. She has previously worked in music ministry at the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore and the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona. During her undergraduate studies at Westminster Choir College, Valerie sang Soprano 1 and 2 with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center. With Westminster Symphonic Choir, she performed a range of major works including Bach B minor Mass, Mozart Requiem, and Ravel’s opera “L’enfant et les sortileges”.