Evelyn Virginia Sophia Czaja, lyric mezzo-soprano, voice and piano teacher. I am also a choir director and modest organist. I have done stage direction and am a certified makeup artist.
Musical life started as an opera singer in Chicago, IL. I’ve sung with local opera companies…Repertory Opera Theater and DuPage Opera, local symphonies…Northwest Symphony and Lake Shore Symphony, and Chicago Opera Theater. I’ve given numerous recitals both in Chicago and Boston, MA. I was also a Cantor in the Roman Catholic Church in Chicago for 15 years.
Roles I have performed include Musetta in Pucini’s La Boheme, The Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Magic Flute, and Yum-Yum in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado, to name a few.
In Chicago I started teaching voice and then moved into the Boston area. I added beginning and intermediate piano to my teaching schedule as well. I’ve accompanied vocal students in recital and even played piano bar for one of my pop singing students.
Recently I have become an organist/choir director in the Greek Orthodox Church…Panagia in Cohasset, Dormition in Somerville, and now St. Catherine’s in Braintree.
As a private music teacher I love personal achievement. It’s so rewarding to watch a student grow in their instrument and be able to see them perform in recital. I enjoy the process of teaching a student to become their own musical artist.
My education includes a Masters Degree in Applied Music Pedagogy from Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Rosary College (now Dominican University) River Forest, IL. I’ve studied private voice as well in both Chicago and Massachusetts, as well as performance coaching. I’ve also studied piano privately as well as choral conducting at Rosary College, IL, and organ both in Chicago and in Massachusetts.
The associations I belong to are the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Boston Singers Resources (BSR) and National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians.