Private Lesson Instuctors
Ms. Brennan Blankenship, M.M.
Brennan Blankenship has moved back to the Spring/Klein area after earning her B.A. in Music from Pepperdine University and her Masters degree in Music from the University of Minnesota to open a voice studio for singers who are looking for classical vocal training. As a past student of local voice teacher Diana Stoerzbach and two- year member of the Texas All-State Choir, she knows what it takes to be an effective singer both chorally and as a soloist. She is currently a member of the Houston Grand Opera Chorus and has performed many opera roles across the country. Miss Blankenship has been studying music for fifteen years and teaching voice for seven. She strives to make lessons fun while working hard to make every minute count. If you want to know more about Miss Blankenship's operatic career and upcoming performances, please visit her website at brennanblankenship.com
If you are interested in taking lessons, please contact the Klein Oak choir directors or Miss Blankenship at brenlblank@gmail.com.
Mr. Benjamin LeClair, M.M.
Benjamin LeClair is an internationally recognized singer and dedicated music educator. He holds a Masters in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Music Education from Wartburg College. As a soloist, Mr. LeClair has appeared on major stages in the United States, Holland, and in Germany where he gave over 150 performances as the lead bass soloist with the Oldenburg State Theater. A firm supporter and proponent of choral music, he has sung with numerous professional organizations including Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, a group founded by his vocal instructor, Thomas Wikman. He is proud to be a part of the Klein Oak HIgh School’s music department and has dedicated himself to helping private students and ensembles make beautiful, technically excellent music.
If you are interested in taking lessons, please contact the Klein Oak choir directors or Mr. LeClair at leclair_ben@yahoo.com.
Jan Cornelius, M.M.
Opera News describes Jan Cornelius as a "wonderfully attractive soprano with a solid core, tipped with a silvery edge." Most recently she made her debut with The Lake Houston Musical Arts Society to much acclaim singing the soprano solo of Verdi’s Requiem. She was also guest artist with the Summer Garden Opera in Virginia singing the role of Violetta in La Traviata in June this year.
Ms. Cornelius has enjoyed success singing the several opera roles including Fiordilidgi (Cosí fan tutte), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Donna Anna and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Micaela, (Carmen), the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, as well as both Musetta and Mimi in La Boheme. She has sung leading roles with Fort Worth Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Birmingham Opera, Atlanta Opera and Virginia Opera. Internationally, she has sung with Oldenburg State Theater,Theater Hof, and the Festival Lyrique de Belle-Ile en Mer.
She is a graduate of the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts where she sang a wide repertory of roles including Arabella (Arabella), Giorgetta (Il tabarro), Countess Madeline (Capriccio), Anna Bolena, Silvana (La Fiamma), and Violetta (La traviata).
Ms. Cornelius has distinguished herself in numerous competitions. She most recently won the Ft. Worth Opera/Mc Cammon Opera Guild Competition, as well as receiving a top prize in the Marcello Giordani Competition. She has earned first prize in the Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition and the Gerda Lissner Vocal Competition. In both 2009 and 2010, she represented the Mid-Atlantic Region as a semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition and received grants from Opera Index.
Jan currently resides in Houston,Texas with her two children and bass-baritone, Ben LeClair. She maintains a thriving private voice studio at Klein Oak High School and Lone Star College - Kingwood.