LAURA HAMMACK CHIPE is an Assistant Professor on the music faculty of Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky. She holds a B.Mus.Ed. degree from Georgetown College, a M.Ch.Mus. degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy and a D.M.A. degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. Laura has 17 years of elementary and secondary classroom experience, teaching music and theater in Brazil, New York, and Kentucky. Before coming to Cumberland, she sang with the Kentucky Opera while studying in Louisville with the Metropolitan Opera's Marilyn Mims as well as Lloyd Mims and Ronald Turner. Laura lived in Rio de Janeiro for 14 years, where she studied with Rene Talbá, Elaine Sampaio, and Marcos Louzado. In addition to her position at the American School in Rio de Janeiro, she appeared regularly in chamber recitals, oratorio performance, and in lead roles with the Anglo-Brazilian productions of Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore, The Gondoliers, and Pirates of Penzance.
