Aruban-American mezzo-soprano, Erin Koolman, is a doctoral candidate for the Doctor of Music degree in the studio of Patricia Stiles at The Jacobs School of Music in Indiana University.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Vocal Performance from Indiana University in 2012, where she studied under Dr. Sarah J. Mantel. In 2015, Koolman graduated from Kansas State University where she studied with mezzo-soprano Dr. Patricia Thompson. Erin’s past performances include Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Chicago, Trial by Jury, White Christmas, Hansel and Gretel (Hansel), Dialogues des Carmélites (Mère Jeanne), La Purpura de la Rosa (Cintia/Celfa), La Traviata (Annina).  Erin has performed scenes from Die Zauberflöte (Dritte Dame), Lakmé (Malika), I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Romeo) and Carmen (Carmen).  In April of 2015 Erin performed with the Kansas State Orchestra as a winner of the Aria Competition. Erin has had multiple performances abroad including a choir tour in Northern France with Kansas State University choirs, study in Pèrigeuex, France with the Franco-American Vocal Academy, and in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico with OperaMaya. Erin is a strong advocate for the performance of children’s opera, offering her vocal and stage direction talents to Bloomington’s Re-Imagining Opera for Kids and as a collaborator with Amity Trio in their latest tour of Indiana where they presented “Lucrecia y el canto de los Dudasaurios” by Nur Slim. Since August of 2017 she has served as staff singer for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Indianapolis where she is often a featured soloist, most notably in J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion and in upcoming performances of Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Magnificat.