Ms. Wester works in Chicago as a stage director, professor, teaching artist and singer- actor. Currently she is the opera stage director at Northern Illinois University as well as adjunct Faculty at DePaul University. She will be returning to the faculty of Chicago Summer Opera this summer directing productions of  The Consul  and Giulio Cesare  after directing successful runs of Le Nozze di Figaro and Carmen in 2023 Ms. Wester is an established teacher and has create pre-professional programs for Chicago Opera Theatre, After School Matters and Merit School of Music. In these programs, she led full productions of Once Upon a Mattress, Ragtime, Oklahoma and Urinetown the Musical. She has led many productions for the St. Petersburg Opera including their 2013 production of Tosca, their 2010 season opener of A Little Night Music, La Traviata and the Fall 2009 Production of Into the Woods to rave reviews from both audiences and critics alike. Ms. Wester also has led productions at the Bay View Music Festival (The Magic Flute), Intimate Opera (La Traviata and Cosí fan Tutte) and Opera Company Brooklyn (Roméo et Juliette), The Savoyaires (Evanston, IL) (The Zoo, Eyes and No Eyes and Trial by Jury  and Patience).   Ms. Wester has been an Assistant Director for Chicago Opera Theater, Utah Opera, Indianapolis Opera and San Diego Opera. 

 

In the past she was the Stage Director for the Opera Music Theater Ensemble which was part of the Vocal Partnership program with the Merit School of Music and Lyric Opera of Chicago for teenage singers in the Chicago-land area.  She also served on the Musical Theatre Voice Faculty of the ChiArts High School (Chicago High School for the Performing Arts) . Ms. Wester was the Stage Director/Vocal Coach for Chicago Opera Theater’s ‘Chicago Opera Theater for Teens' – a paid apprenticeship program sponsored by the City of Chicago with Chicago Opera Theater.  She has been active in Music Theater education for teens as well being the Stage Director of the Summer Musical Theater Workshop with Light Opera Works for four seasons as well as leading the DePaul Community Music’s Music Theater Workshop for Teens.  She also serves on the musical theatre voice faculty of the ChiArts High School (The Chicago High School for the Arts). Her students have won Classical Singers High School Classical and Musical Theatre awards as well as numerous NATS competitions both locally and state wide. In 2017, Ms. Wester won a Make a Wave award from 3arts for her work as a Teaching Artist.

 

As a classical singer, Ms. Wester was a Studio Artist with Utah Opera. She appeared as a featured soloist in the Welcome Yule Christmas concert with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dabeeb in the North American Premiere of Marriages between Zones 3, 4 and 5 by Phillip Glass as well as productions with Chicago Opera Theater, Court Theater, Porchlight Theater, DePaul Opera Theater, Intermezzo Opera in Hartford, CT, American Opera Group, Elgin Opera and multiple productions with Light Opera Works in Evanston, IL.  Ms. Wester holds a B.M. from Roosevelt University and an M.M. from DePaul University.