Centenary professor and vocalist earns national recognition
Dr. Briana Sosenheimer, Centenary College assistant professor of music, has received recognition from the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Dr. Sosenheimer earned the 2025 Voice Pedagogy Award for her dedication to teaching and the study of voice pedagogy and science. The award comes with $500 that she plans to use, along with a Centenary College Faculty Research Award, to attend the Summer Vocology Institute at the University of Utah this summer.
“The National Association of Teachers of Singing is an important and respected professional association for those who teach and learn to sing with exceptional artistic talent and technical skill,” said Dr. Cory Wikan, dean of the Hurley School of Music. “Dr. Sosenheimer is an exceptionally talented vocal pedagogue, stage director, and vocalist and is wholly deserving of this national honor. Under her leadership Opera Centenary has blossomed in just two short years. Hurley’s aspiring vocal professionals are evolving in exciting ways, and her plans for developing an even more exciting and relevant program of vocal study at Hurley are thoughtful and well-crafted. We are so very fortunate to have Dr. Sosenheimer at Centenary College. We heartily congratulate her on this and many more successes!”
Dr. Sosenheimer is a talented soprano who has performed internationally including principal roles in Le nozze di Figaro, La Bohéme, Werther, and Carmen. She has directed and assistant directed more than 30 different productions with a number of opera organizations, and her outreach work has involved performing and pastiche composing operas for children.
At Centenary College, Dr. Sosenheimer is a passionate educator who teaches voice, vocal pedagogy, and music literature. She serves as the Director of Opera Centenary and is also the Coordinator of the Voice Area at the Hurley School of Music. In the future, she would like to start a voice lab at Centenary and add more voice pedagogy curriculum. Dr. Sosenheimer wants to deepen her own understanding of the science of voice, and her classes this summer will help make that possible.